CLINTON, ON — A record number of three-year-old pacing colts are headed to Clinton Raceway on Friday, looking for Ontario Sires Stakes glory in 13 Grassroots divisions.

Joining the colts who competed in the May 23 season opener are a sizeable number of newcomers to the Grassroots program, including Robert and Audrey McKinley’s Tymal Winsome, who started the season at the Gold Series level.

“He got a cheque in the Gold Elimination, but he didn’t race as well as he should have,” says Clinton resident Robert McKinley. “He should be all right in the Grassroots, I think he can handle the half-mile track.”

The couple share ownership on Tymal Winsome with their son, and the Camluck gelding’s breeder, Dr. John McKinley of Oldcastle. Through 17 starts this season the pacer has posted a record of two wins, two seconds and three thirds, with the senior McKinley’s watching most of them on a television at Pompano Park during their annual winter migration to Florida.

“We were able to see him race, we’re only 20 minutes from Pompano,” says McKinley. “We had him in Florida with us as a two-year-old. Tom Artandi trained him down there.”

The former politician and chicken hatchery operator admits the main reason he bought Tymal Winsome was for the fun of taking him south.

“I picked him out, I liked him as a yearling,” recalls the long time Standardbred owner. “I bought him mainly to have a horse to watch in Florida. It’s a lot of fun going to watch your horse train two times a week.

“We go lawn bowling three mornings a week and if you go watch your horse train two mornings, it pretty well fills your week,” he adds.

Tymal Winsome makes his Grassroots debut from Post 8 in the fourth division on Friday, and while a bad knee will keep McKinley from his usual job as the presenter of blankets and trophies to the Ontario Sires Stakes winners, a solid effort from the pacer could see him on the receiving end of some Grassroots hardware.

“Post 8 is all right here if the one horse leaves a little,” he notes. “But I used to be in the chicken hatchery business and I never count chickens before they’re hatched; the hydro might go off and you might lose them all.”

Gregg McNair trains Tymal Winsome for the McKinley family and Jim McClure will step into the race bike for the first time on Friday. Among the colts the pair will face in Race 4 are five newcomers to the 2005 Grassroots program and a pair of veterans, including Putnam President, who captured a division of the season opener to jump start a three-race win streak, and starts from Post 5 Friday.

Fans heading to Clinton Raceway on Canada Day will be treated to a full slate of Grassroots action as the three-year-old pacing colts have commandeered all 13 races. The first $15,000 division goes postward at 5 pm.

For a complete list of Friday’s entries please go to:

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