WOODBINE, ON — Saturday night marked the end of the regular season for the three-year-old pacing colts and the talented youngsters wrapped up their Grassroots careers with an impressive speed display at Kawartha Downs.
Mikis King kicked off the seven division talent show with a 1:52.3 scorcher in the second race. The His Mattjesty son and local reinsman Gord Brown dominated the mile, cruising across the finish line five and a half lengths up on Sensational Rocket. One Shot Away, owned by Edward Peconi, Jr. of Peterborough and Adelle Laing of Omemee, paced in for the third-place finisher’s share of the $18,000 purse.
Nat Varty trains former Gold Series competitor Mikis King for Wilson Racing Stable Inc. of Crete, IL and David Yohe of Lima, OH. Through 12 starts this season the gelding has recorded four wins, one second and one third, earning his owners $44,335.
Driver Tony Kerwood posted a double on the Grassroots program, smiling in the Kawartha winner’s circle with Killean Sweep and D M Rapidash.
In the fourth race Kerwood and Killean Sweep stalked pacesetters Rocket Engine and Pat Hudon through fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:26.2 before sneaking by in the stretch to score the neck victory in 1:55.2. Rocket Engine settled for second and Victory By Design rounded out the top three.
Killean Sweep also squeaked into the Grassroots post season with the victory, finishing the season with 105 points earned through two wins and one fifth-place finish in four outings, good enough for the final spot on the gate in the Oct. 26 Semifinal at Flamboro Downs. Scott McNiven trains the Run The Table son for Donald Douglas, Don McNiven and Jack McNiven of Ingersoll.
Three races later Kerwood once again chose a come-from-behind strategy with D M Rapidash. The gritty Village Jiffy son spent much of the mile hanging out on the outside before powering away to a two and a half length victory in the stretch. D M Rapidash tripped the Kawartha teletimer in a personal best 1:54.4 to score his fourth win of the season for trainer Cal Campbell and owners Michael Watson and Sons Inc. of Mooretown.
Kurt Rustler and Malmo Boy landed the second and third-place finisher’s cheques behind D M Rapidash.
Division leader Tigerama established himself as the solid favourite heading into the post season with an impressive 1:54.4 victory from Post 7 in the ninth race. The Village Jiffy colt led from gate-to-wire and held off a late charge from rival Twin B Mirage to collect his fifth Grassroots trophy and finish the year with a total of 275 points, just 25 points shy of a perfect score through six regular season events. The win pushed the colt’s lifetime earnings to $104,978 for trainer Richard Griffiths and breeder-owner Robert Hamather of Exeter.
Twin B Mirage’s runner-up finish earned him second spot behind Tigerama in the division point standings, while third-place finisher Maddys Cam failed to advance to the post season.
The other divisions went to Daylon Hornet in 1:55.1, D M Nightstalker in 1:55.4 and Chillofalifetime in 1:55.4.
The top 16 point earners will head to Flamboro Downs Oct. 26 to compete in a pair of Semifinal races, with the top eight from the Semifinal round advancing to the Nov. 2 Grassroots Championship.
Kawartha Downs wraps up its 2003 Ontario Sires Stakes season next Saturday, Oct. 18 with a Trillium Series event for the two-year-old trotting fillies.