DRESDEN, ON — It took Ontario’s finest three-year-old pacing colts less than two minutes to erase Dresden Raceway’s all age track record on Sunday afternoon.

Sixty-two colts were spotlighted in eight Grassroots divisions and Caviarandsoftmusic stripped four-fifths of a second off the half-mile oval’s track record in the very first $15,000 division.

Parked on the outside of early pacesetter Master Chef through the :28.1 opening quarter, Caviarandsoftmusic assumed control of the pace heading to the :56.1 half and simply drew away from the field. Two lengths on top at the 1:25.2 three-quarters, the Camluck son and driver Kevin Wallis hit the wire five lengths ahead of Kentucky Rebel and nine lengths up on Classic Lightning in a record setting 1:54.1.

The mile was four-fifths of a second faster than the former all age track record shared by Mr Brown (2001) and Sand Olls Dexter (2002), and more than one second faster than the 1:55.4 three-year-old pacing colt record set by Sir Orion in 2001.

Trainer Shane Arsenault and owner Gestion Zane of Lachine, QC plucked Caviarandsoftmusic out of the Aug. 27 Summer Sizzler Sale for $57,000 and the pacer has recorded two straight wins for them, returning $10,150 of their investment in just two weeks. Sunday’s victory bumped the colt’s Grassroots point tally to 80, just shy of the current cut off for a post season berth, with one regular season event remaining.

Six outstanding battles followed Caviarandsoftmusic’s victory and then Must Be Matt closed out the afternoon by equalling the new speed standard. Like his fellow record holder, Must Be Matt took command of the race just past the opening quarter and then waved good-bye to his peers, pulling away to a 12 length victory in 1:54.1.

Joseph and Beverley Santarossa of Maidstone own the Barnett Hanover son, who was making his first appearance in the Grassroots program. The Ross Siddall trainee’s only other Ontario Sires Stakes start this season was in a Gold Series Elimination at Western Fair Raceway on May 7 where he finished seventh.

Fun Factor and Little Saratoga Series winner Southview Maverick rounded out the top three.

Most Happy One and Rigio Hanover vaulted into a tie for third place in the Grassroots standings with wins in their divisions on Sunday. In Race 5 Most Happy One and driver Jim McClure sprinted away from the starting gate, laid down fractions of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:26.4, and then dug in down the stretch to fend off Major Seelster and claim the 1:56.3 victory. Total Impact rounded out the top three, seven lengths behind the leaders.

Chris Matthews trains Most Happy One for Jeff Bryan and Desmond Scott of Orangeville. Through four Grassroots starts the Grinfromeartoear son has recorded three wins for a total of 150 points.

Rigio Hanover employed similar front end tactics in Race 9, but never faced a challenger as he cruised across the finish line five lengths up on Putnam President and Back It Up in a smart 1:55.4. Michael Langdon engineered the Island Fantasy son’s second Grassroots victory for trainer Lowell Brown and owners Andrew and Allan Moore of Charlottetown, PEI.

The other four Grassroots divisions went to Pacific Mariner in 1:55.2, Casimir Easy Rider in 1:55.4, Northern Edge in 1:57 and Kountry Kid in 1:56.3.

Ontario’s exciting three-year-old pacing colts wrap up their Grassroots regular season on Sept. 29 at Rideau Carleton Raceway, while Dresden Raceway wraps up its 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes season on Sept. 25 with Grassroots action for the equally impressive three-year-old pacing fillies.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rdressu.html