ELORA, ON — Grand River Raceway hosted its first ever Ontario Sires Stakes event on Monday evening and the three-year-old pacing colts delivered 15 races of outstanding Grassroots action.
Guelph resident Gregg McNair sent five colts out to battle over the Grand River oval and took home four Grassroots trophies compliments of O Narutac Magic, Stonebridge Galaxy, Lucky Brad and Tristin Seelster. He came within four lengths of a perfect average as Trumpet Seelster finished second in his division.
O Narutac Magic led off McNair’s stellar evening with a commanding 12 and one-quarter length victory in the third race. Driver Jim McClure sent the fan favourite directly to the front from Post 3 and then sat back to enjoy the ride as the Island Fantasy gelding sprinted home to the 1:55.4 triumph over Bo Knows Him and Gem Runner.
Cataway Racing Stable of Smithtown, NY and Pat Caturano of North Merrick, NY share ownership on O Narutac Magic, who now boasts a record of four wins, two seconds and one third in 11 starts this season.
Last season’s Grassroots champion Stonebridge Galaxy was the second of McNair’s charges to visit the Grand River winner’s circle, eking out a half length victory over L H Stryker and Courageousdecision in Race 6. The Apaches Fame son and driver Ray McLean, Jr. used come-from-behind tactics to score the 1:58 win, their first of the season.
McNair owns Stonebridge Galaxy in partnership with George Kerr of Gowanstown and Linda Cox of Bayfield.
While his stablemates were favoured to capture their Grassroots division, Lucky Brad went off as the fans’ fifth choice. Leaving from Post 8 the Island Fantasy son and driver Stuart Sowerby looked like they were well out of the action until the three-quarter pole where they made a bold three-wide move that landed them in third spot as the colts straightened out for home. An impressive finishing kick saw Lucky Brad power to the five and one-quarter length win in 1:58.1, with longshots Ayr Commodore and Distinctiv Lewy rounding out the top three.
Douglas Dunbar of London and Brad Dunbar of Ilderton own Lucky Brad, who boosted his lifetime earnings to $25,005 with the win.
Sowerby also used come-from-behind tactics to land Tristin Seelster in the winner’s circle in Race 12. The Camluck son sprinted wide around the final turn to score the 1:57.4 victory, seven and one-quarter lengths ahead of favourite Im A Lucky Cam and 10 up on Goneinajiffy. McNair shares ownership on Tristin Seelster with Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke and Don MacDonald of Amherstburg.
The other divisions went to Island Zeeker in 1:57.2, XLB Joker in 1:57.2, Cam Lucky in 1:56.4, Rapida in 1:58, Rupert Rupert in 1:58.3, Im A Rustler Too in 1:58.1, Antony Sue Prano in 1:59.1, Ram Of The House in 1:59, Cobbler Hanover in 1:57.2, Cherry Tree Chuck in 1:55.3 and Bootilicious in 1:54.4.
Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing colts return to Grassroots action on June 24 at Rideau Carleton Raceway, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement makes its second stop at Grand River Raceway on July 23.