DUNDAS, ON — Ontario’s freshman trotting colts put on an impressive show for Flamboro Downs fans on Sunday evening, with Miguel Duhamel ringing in with the sharpest mile of the three $33,578 Grassroots divisions.

In rein to Torgeir Hagmann, Miguel Duhamel landed third on the rail as George Daniel led the colts to a :29.4 opening quarter. While George Daniel continued through a 1:01.3 half and 1:31.4 three-quarters, Miguel Duhamel applied pressure from the outside, finally reaching the front around the last turn.

Sprinting down the stretch, Miguel Duhamel sailed under the wire five and a half lengths ahead of Ballykeel Mike and seven lengths up on a tiring George Daniel.

A $70,000 US yearling at last fall’s Lexington Select Sale, Miguel Duhamel started his career with a third-place finish in the season opening Gold Elimination at Grand River Raceway on July 16. Trainer Harald Lunde of Campbellville opted not to return to the Gold Series with the son of Angus Hall and former Ontario Sires Stakes winner Clarice Marie, and the decision was clearly a wise one as the colt recorded his first lifetime win on Sunday.

Natan Schlachet of Sundbyberg, Sweden and Kjell Magne Andersen of Oslo, Norway, share ownership on Miguel Duhamel.

Maples Lucky Boy also scored a commanding victory, cruising under the wire three lengths ahead of Ernest V and Demasiado Tequila. The Grassroots win was the second straight for the Malabar Maple colt, one half of the favoured entry from trainer Wayne Henry’s barn, and puts him atop the point standings in the race for a berth in the Grassroots post season.

Bruce Richardson piloted Maples Lucky Boy to the 2:03.3 victory for owner-breeders James Laverty of Sauble Beach and the Henry Stable of Arthur.

The last Grassroots division featured a more dramatic finish as less than a length separated the top three finishers. Wayne Henry trainee Smedshammer carved fractions of :29.4, 1:01.1 and 1:32 and was still on top as the colts turned for home, but it was a hard closing Dandy Duke who earned the head victory over Berto Bravo, leaving Smedshammer to settle for third.

Stephen Byron urged the Duke Of York son down the stretch to the 2:04.3 victory for trainer John Bax and owners Glengate Farms of Campbellville, Al Libfeld of Pickering, Marvin Katz of Toronto and Robert Kauffman of Wellington, FL. Like Miguel Duhamel, Dandy Duke started his freshman campaign in the Gold Series, where he finished sixth in his July 16 Gold Elimination.

Up next on the two-year-old trotting colt schedule is an appearance at Georgian Downs on Aug. 21 for their third Grassroots start. Flamboro Downs will continue to be entertained by Ontario’s finest young competitors, as the three-year-old pacing colts prepare to do battle in Grassroots action this Wednesday, Aug. 8.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rflmdsu.html