HANOVER, ON — Sixty-five of Ontario’s most talented three-year-old trotting colts will hijack Hanover Raceway’s program this Wednesday, July 11 as they compete in nine Grassroots divisions worth a total of $135,000.

Hoping to deliver another top performance in the second Grassroots event of the season is local trotter Summerhill Duke, a 2:01.4 winner in the June 19 season opener at Western Fair Raceway. With seven starts under his belt, Summerhill Duke has been resting on his laurels for the last three weeks, enjoying a mini-vacation from a solid early season campaign that saw him record two wins, two seconds and two thirds and post a personal best 1:57.2.

“He’s missed about two or three weeks now. He raced so much in the spring we thought we’d give him a little time off,” explains Mount Forest resident David Holliday, who shares ownership and training duties on Summerhill Duke with his sons Ben and Ryan Holliday. “We took him up to Hanover to train today (Saturday).”

Summerhill Duke will start from Post 6 on Wednesday, but Holliday is confident the outside post will not be an issue for the Duke Of York son and regular reinsman Jody Jamieson. The pair started at Post 7 in their Western Fair triumph, easing off the gate and working their way along the outside to a three length victory.

“I don’t think it will effect him any. He was good out of the seven-hole at London,” notes Holliday. “Jody raced him different than I thought he would. I thought he’d fire him out of there, but he took him back and brought him out early. Jody gets along really good with him.”

Holliday is hoping that Jamieson will make the trip to Hanover to steer Summerhill Duke on Wednesday, but acknowledges that the driver’s schedule has become slightly more hectic since he piloted three-year-old pacing colt Tell All to North America Cup glory at Mohawk Racetrack on June 16.

“I guess he’s in The Meadowlands tonight,” points out the veteran horseman. “I think it helps when those guys come out though. People will come out and see him.”

Having Jamieson in the race bike would also help Holliday evaluate the gelding’s performance as he considers supplementing into the Dream Of Glory Trot. Eliminations for the $100,000 Final go postward on July 28 and Wednesday’s test will influence whether Summerhill Duke gets a shot at his local oval’s signature event.

“We didn’t pay him into the Dream Of Glory, but we might supplement him,” admits Holliday. “We’ll play it by ear. If he puts up good Wednesday, we’ll consider it.”

Nominations for the Dream Of Glory were due in February and at that point Summerhill Duke had not exhibited much enthusiasm for the racing game. In eight starts as a two-year-old the chestnut gelding had just barely earned back his $4,500 purchase price and his best finish was a distant third in a Sept. 3 Grassroots event.

“He was always a little bit mediocre. We were always hoping he would drop a little more,” recalls Holliday. “This year he wants to get out and do his work, that’s the main difference with him.”

Summerhill Duke will test his new found work ethic in Race 2 on Wednesday, the second of nine $15,000 Grassroots divisions. After kicking off Hanover Raceway’s program at 7:20 pm with two divisions, the three-year-old trotting colts will continue to entertain fans in Races 4 through 10.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/ehnvrwe.html