WINDSOR, OCT. 31, 2001 — After winning a pair of Grassroots Semifinals at Windsor Raceway last weekend, Doug McIntosh believes his two-year-old trotting colts are peaking just in time for the $100,000 Championship on Saturday night.
Heading into the Semifinal the Wheatley resident expected Ryan Hall and Semper Fi Hall to deliver solid efforts, but he was somewhat surprised to be carrying home two Ontario Sires Stakes trophies. If the Balanced Image sons are as sharp this week McIntosh and owners Walnut Hall Limited of Lexington, KY could collect as much as 75 per cent of the $100,000 purse.
“They’re a nice pair of colts and they are coming into these late fall stakes pretty good,” says McIntosh. “The Grassroots is a good tool to make a couple of nice horses, to give them time and bring them along correctly.”
Ryan Hall posted a 2:02.3 victory in the Semifinal round, his third win in seven starts, while Semper Fi Hall logged an impressive 2:01.3 triumph, his fourth straight. Trevor Ritchie piloted both colts to their Semifinal wins and selected Semper Fi Hall for Saturday’s Final.
“Trevor (Ritchie) likes Ryan Hall the best. He feels he will be a nice hose next year, but in this race he thinks the other horse won rather handily off a rough trip. He showed a little courage,” explains McIntosh, who left the decision up to Ritchie. “I expected Ryan Hall to be good, but the other colt, every time he’s reached a little further.”
Ritchie will send Semper Fi Hall after win number five from Post 6 in the ninth race and Greg Wright, Jr. will attempt to earn the Grassroots hardware with Ryan Hall from Post 5.
Trainer Paul Walker also starts two youngsters in the trotting filly Championship. He piloted Early Secret to an impressive nine length 2:04.1 victory in the second Semifinal after rolling Freestall Fanny into fourth-place in the first qualifying event.
“Early Secret raced really well the other night. She’s had so many bad draws in post position that the rail really helped her a lot,” says the Owen Sound resident of the Earl daughter. “I thought if I got up near the front at the three-quarters we might hang on. My mare was really tired, I thought we’d be hanging on by the skin of out teeth, so I was surprised when I watched the replay to see we’d won by that much.”
Malcolm MacPhail of Dover Centre and William Loyens of London share ownership on Early Secret, who will start from Post 2 on Saturday.
Walker trains Freestall Fanny for Frank and Robert Lipsett of Annan and felt that an aggressive drive might have landed the Cock Of The Walk daughter closer than fourth in her Semifinal.
“I raced her pretty conservatively. I thought I was just racing for a cheque, but the way the race went she maybe could have got a little more of it,” says Walker. “She’s honest, but she does not have a lot of speed so she’s at the mercy of the race.”
Freestall Fanny makes her bid for a piece of the $100,000 Championship from Post 6 in Saturday’s seventh race and Walker has not yet decided who will drive the filly.
“She’s got a little bit of gate speed, but she’ll not likely be able to use it out of the six-hole,” says Walker. “She’ll just have to hug the rail and hope that somebody makes a mistake or two and she gets in there.”
Although they will not start in the same division, trainer Jack Darling will also have a pair of two-year-olds on his trailer Saturday night. Pacing filly Eyes Wide Shut will start from Post 6 in the fifth race and pacing colt Corona Grande will aim for his eighth straight victory from Post 5 in Race 11.
Gothic Dream daughter Eyes Wide Shut finished second to Armbro Wallflower in the Semifinal last weekend and Darling believes that filly will be tough again on Saturday.
“Armbro Wallflower will be tough to beat,” says the Windsor resident, who shares ownership on both horses with Dan Smith of Dorchester. “I just hope we can get some kind of a decent trip.”
In the last Grassroots race of the season Windsor Raceway fans are expected to send Corona Grande off as the heavy favourite. The Camluck son has not been defeated in his last seven starts and posted an easy 1:57 victory in the Semifinal.
“Everybody in there has a chance, but if he races as big as he can he should be tough to beat,” says Darling. “He’s a nice big strong horse and he just keeps getting better as the year goes on. It’s been a pleasant surprise.”
After a late start to his freshman campaign Corona Grande raced exclusively in the Grassroots, but Darling calls him a borderline Gold horse and hopes the young pacer will make the transition to the top ranks next year.
Seven of the colts Corona Grande could face in his sophomore season will compete in their last Gold Series Final on Windsor’s 7:25 pm program Saturday. Slated as Race 3, the $100,000 contest features last weekend’s Gold Elimination winner Ifihadyourluck from Post 2 and division leader Daylon Frontier from Post 1.
Ron Henderson and Michael Dresser of Windsor will send out Goth Vader from Post 7 after the Gothic Dream son delivered a credible fifth-place finish in the Elimination. Pacific Titan, who finished second by a neck in the Elimination, starts right next to Goth Vader from Post 6.
Windsor Raceway sends its first race behind the starting gate at 7:25 pm and features a total of five $100,000 Ontario Sires Stakes events. The two-year-old pacing colts compete in their Gold Series Final in Race 3, the pacing fillies take centre stage in Race 5, the trotting fillies shine in Race 7, the trotting colts in Race 9 and the evening wraps up with the pacing colt’s Grassroots Final in Race 11.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SANDRA SNYDER AT 519-656-2017 (TEL./FAX) OR smsnyder@sentex.net.