HANOVER, ON — Driver Ray McLean, Jr. captured three Grassroots divisions at Hanover Raceway on Saturday night including one of two 1:55.3 miles with Gold Series regular Jimmy Crack Cohen.
Leaving from Post 2 McLean sent the three-year-old pacing colt after the lead early, reaching the :27.4 opening quarter on top by two lengths. The Pacific Rocket son maintained his lead through fractions of :57.1 and 1:26.2 and then pulled away from fan favourite Just Iffy through the stretch to score the three length victory.
Just Iffy, owned by Vicki Gregg of Paisley and Beth and Steven Gregg of Cargill, earned the runner-up’s share of the $18,000 purse and So Lucky Hanover was seven lengths back in third.
Trained by Bill Robinson for Equifund Investments of Hamilton, Jimmy Crack Cohen improved his record to two wins and one second in eight starts.
McLean and Robinson also teamed up to capture the ninth race with HBFS Storm, another Gold Series competitor taking advantage of the Grassroots wild card. Starting from post 4, McLean opted for a come-from-behind strategy with the fan favourite, landing fifth in the early going and then making his way up the outside. Turning for home HBFS Storm had moved into second and was just one length behind pacesetter Video Express, McLean shifted the colt into a higher gear and the Native Born responded with a finishing kick that propelled him to a half length victory in 1:57. Video Express hung on for second and Twin B Mirage closed will to earn the third-place cheque.
HBF Corporation of Detroit, MI bred and own HBFS Storm, who has amassed an impressive $192,585 through nine wins, four seconds and two thirds in 21 starts this season.
McLean rounded out his driving hat trick with a 1:58.4 score in the opening Grassroots division aboard Allraes Valentine for trainer Benoit Baillargeon and owners The Brush and Crush Stable of Scarsdale, NY. Radical Bert and Artic Premium completed the top three.
Baillargeon had a second winner in Race 6 when driver Reg Gassien and Kurt Rustler stalked pacesetter and favourite Sensational Rocket through fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:25 before out sprinting the leader to the wire to score the 1:55.3 victory by a length. Sensational Rocket settled for second and Firstline Royal paced into third.
Rockwood resident Baillargeon shares ownership on the Rustler Hanover son with C. Tremblay Holdings Inc. of Brossard, QC and Les Ecuries Sarah of Laval, QC. The win boosted the colt into second place in the Grassroots standings with 162 points earned through three wins and one third in four provincial starts.
Division leader Tigerama maintained his status as the top dog with a seemingly effortless 1:56.1 win over Gold Series competitor Mt Vernon Hanover and Dream Rocket in the second race.
Richard Griffiths trains the talented Village Jiffy son for owner-breeder Robert Hamather of Exeter. The win improved Tigerama’s Grassroots record to three wins and one second in four starts and his 2003 record to eight wins, three seconds and a third in 14 starts.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Close The Bank in 1:55.4, Mikey Mantle in 2:00.2, Bringhomethemoney in 1:57.2 and another Bill Robinson trainee, Au Rumba, in 1:57.3. The colts will have an opportunity to add to their point totals in their fifth Grassroots event Sept. 28 at Dresden Raceway.
The three-year-old pacing colts wrapped up Hanover Raceway’s 2003 Ontario Sires Stakes schedule, which featured four outstanding Grassroots events and one exciting Trillium. The provincial program looks forward to returning to the popular half-mile oval in 2004 with a new group of young trotters and pacers eager to prove themselves in Sires Stakes action.