FRASERVILLE, ON — The moment of truth arrives Thursday evening for Ontario’s two-year-old pacing colts as forty-two of the province’s best assemble at Kawartha Downs for the first Grassroots test of their careers.

Trainer Randy Van Meer is hoping Pictonian Strapper can hold his own among the Grassroots contenders and raise the bar set by his half-brother Ancient Highway last season.

“We’ll start out in the Grassroots and see how he makes out,” says the Bowmanville resident. “I think he’s a little bit better than the one last year.”

Van Meer trained Ancient Highway to one Grassroots win and a pair of thirds last season, just missing a berth in the season ending Semifinal. He searched out and purchased Pictonian Strapper from Pictou, NS resident Tony Zuethoff last December after liking the looks of the colt in an on-line photo album.

“I was going to fly down, but he sent me some pictures on the internet and then I bought him,” recalls Van Meer, who had called Zuethoff to enquire about Ancient Highway’s half sibling. “He’s a Rustler Hanover, he’s bigger than the Presidential Ball I had last year.”

When Pictonian Strapper arrived at Van Meer’s Bowmanville farm he proved an easy horse to break and even impressed neighbouring horseman Des Tackoor early this spring.

“I had Des train him a couple of times in March and he told me he had a little ability,” says Van Meer, who rents stalls to Tackoor. “Down around 2:20 I knew he was better than the one last year, it’s just whether he stays sound or not.”

Pictonian Strapper will make his Grassroots debut from Post 3 in the fourth race on Thursday, and while Van Meer was pleased with the post, he admits he would be even happier if the colt could kick a virus that has been plaguing him for the last few weeks.

“I’ve had some problems with sick horses, like everybody else,” explains the horseman, who trains Pictonian Strapper for Brian Evans and Donna Van Meer of Bowmanville. “I had him scoped today and he was still a one out of five, but a week ago Thursday he was a four our of five.”

With the change in weather, Van Meer hopes that Pictonian Strapper will bounce back and deliver a solid effort Thursday. The pacer heads into his Ontario Sires Stakes debut off a pair of qualifiers at Mohawk Racetrack, the most recent a 1:59 runner-up effort on June 10, and Van Meer would like to see how he stacks up against some of the colts that might be headed to the Civic Holiday weekend Battle of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway.

“We’ll try this one and go from there,” says Van Meer, “But I’d be happy if I could get him to the Battle of Waterloo. I’ve paid into that race twice now and haven’t made it yet.”

Among the colts Pictonian Strapper will face off against on Thursday are Dr. Sharkey, who was third in a maiden event at Flamboro Downs on June 15, and Hoofnhome, a free-legged pacer trained by Roseneath resident Brett Riley who qualified in 2:00.3 at Kawartha on June 15. Dr. Sharkey will start from Post 1 and Hoofnhome gets Post 2 in the third $21,015 division.

Kawartha Downs raises the curtain on its Thursday evening program at 7 pm and then turns the spotlight on the two-year-old pacing colts in Races 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

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