DRESDEN, ON — Dresden Raceway wraps up an exciting 2011 Ontario Sires Stakes season on Monday, Sept. 5 with eight $24,000 Grassroots divisions for the impressive two-year-old pacing colts.
Leading this year’s crop of pacing colts to the Dresden half-mile is True To Mach, who sits atop the division standings with 175 points earned through three Grassroots victories and one runner-up finish.
“Right now I think he’s as good as anything in the Grassroots,” says trainer Jim Ainsworth.
“If you look at his pedigree, he’s got a license to do what he’s doing,” adds the Sarnia resident. “He’s got a brother who made a million.”
Though a long way from half-brother Quality Western’s $1.3 million in earnings, True To Mach has banked just shy of $50,000 in his first six starts and has only been worse than second on one occasion, a consequence of interference at the start of his Battle of Waterloo Elimination on July 25 at Grand River Raceway. On Monday the son of Mach Three and True To Life will attempt to add another top three finish to his resume from Post 1 in the fourth race.
“He’s got the rail, hopefully he’s got Phil (Hudon) driving, I think it’s his race to lose,” speculates Ainsworth, who conditions the colt for his father Larry Ainsworth of Petrolia and breeder William Boden of Vancouver, BC. “There’s a couple of nice horses in there, but I think it’s his to lose.”
Hudon has driven True To Mach in all six of his starts, but had the choice of three mounts when the post position draw was completed on Wednesday, including one from regular employer James “Friday” Dean. Ainsworth hopes the reinsman will continue his partnership with True To Mach, but notes that the colt is not tough to get along with on the racetrack.
“He’s got the right attitude. You’d never know he was a stud, he’s always got his head over the stall door looking for attention,” says the trainer. “And he’s got the right attitude on the track too.
“You can go down the road with him, or race him from off the pace.”
Among the colts True To Mach will face in the fourth race are two-time Grassroots winner In Commando from Post 3 and fourth-ranked Secretsoftheknight from Post 7.
In addition to True To Mach, Ainsworth will also harness Best By Three from Post 3 in the third race, but the trainer says his expectations for the homebred son of Mach Three and Best Be Sweet are modest.
“He’s had some problems with his feet that really set him back,” explains the horseman. “We’re just hoping to follow along and get a cheque.”
Bred and owned by Boden and Ainsworth’s 13-year-old daughter Madison, Best By Three has tallied three thirds in six starts, but has not finished better than fifth in Grassroots action. The gelding will finish out the Grassroots regular season at Dresden on Monday and Flamboro Downs on Sept. 16 and then enjoy a winter vacation while his stablemate carries the flag in the post season.
“One or two starts more and he’ll be done,” says Ainsworth. “I think he’ll be a lot better next year.”
The exciting two-year-old pacing colts will open Dresden Raceway’s Labour Day Monday card at 1 pm, and continue to show off their skills in Races 2 through 5, 7, 9 and 11.
To view True To Mach’s previous Grassroots starts please go to: True To Mach
To view Best By Three’s previous Grassroots starts please go to: Best By Three
For complete entries please go to: Dresden Raceway Entries — Sept. 5, 2011