WINDSOR, ON — There are no sure things in harness racing, but Sunday night’s third race at Windsor Raceway evolved as though Normand Dessureault had scripted the entire mile.

Piloting Su Lavec from Post 5 in the first of seven Grassroots divisions, Dessureault gunned the three-year-old trotting gelding off the starting gate and landed in second spot behind Starsel — exactly as he had predicted four days earlier.

“The five-hole, I’m happy with that because Starsel drew outside of me,” Dessureault said last Thursday (June 8). “I’ve got good gate speed and he’s got good gate speed, so hopefully I can sit in the two-hole.”

Through fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:27.2, Dessureault did exactly that, sitting comfortably behind the pacesetting Starsel. As the colts turned for home, Dessureault shifted Su Lavec into overdrive and the trotter responded with an impressive burst of speed that propelled him by the tiring leader and on to a four and one-half length win in a personal best 1:57.1. Let’s Get Er Done finished three more lengths back in third.

The win was the first in five tries this season for the Mr Lavec son, who was the runner-up in last year’s Grassroots Championship by a short head. Maidstone resident Dessureault trains and drives the winner of $73,096 for his partner Daniel Durfy of Ypsilanti, MI.

John Bax and Dave “Mr OSS” Wall teamed up for a pair of Grassroots victories at Windsor Raceway on Sunday. The duo made their first appearance in the winner’s circle with Paco In The Sky, who romped to a nine length 1:58.4 victory in the sixth race. Wall and the Yankee Paco colt led from start to finish, leaving fan favourite Way Out and Eagle Chief, owned by Doug McIntosh of Wheatley and Frank Dettore of North Ridgeville, OH, to settle for second and third.

Peterborough resident Bax trains Paco In The Sky, who was making his first ever appearance in the winner’s circle, for breeders Kentuckiana Racing Stable of Lexington, KY.

Three races later Wall teamed Bax trainee Random Attack to a come from behind victory in 1:59.1 The Mr Lavec son toughed it out on the outside of the leaders and then sprinted down the stretch to the one and a quarter length victory over The Swing King and favourite Norththerushison.

Bax shares ownership on Random Attack with Goin To The Show Stable of Peterborough. The half-brother to $205,375 winner Manhattan Slick scored his first victory in 10 lifetime starts.

Angus Hall son Heaven And Hall and driver Robert Shepherd were the only favourites to take home a trophy, posting their second straight Grassroots victory in Sunday’s seventh race. Trained by Susanne Kerwood for Hyatt Holdings Inc. and Canamerica Capital Corp. of Milton, Heaven And Hall boasts a record of three wins in four starts this season and lowered his personal best to 2:00.4 with the one and three-quarter length win over Sharpshootennorris and Incredible Anthony.

I’m Classy also recorded his second Grassroots victory of the season with a 1:58.4 score in Race 10. Driver Gord Rayner and the Eager Seelster son, trained by Wayne Langille for breeder Lorena Chapple of Harley, carved out all the fractions and then held off a late challenge from runner-up Brylin Lavec to earn the win. Favourite King Covenant settled for third.

The other two Grassroots divisions went to Indiana Hall in 1:58.2 and Tristar Millionair in 1:59.3

I’m Classy and Heaven And Hall will be looking to defend their top spot in the division standings when the three-year-old trotting colts head to Grand River Raceway for their third Grassroots event on July 7. Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Windsor Raceway on Sunday, July 2 when the remarkable three-year-old pacing fillies appear at the border oval in the third of five Gold Series events on their 2006 schedule.

For complete results please go to:

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