LONDON, ON — Western Fair Raceway fans were treated to an exceptional evening of Ontario Sires Stakes action on Saturday as eight Grassroots champions were crowned with enthusiastic cheers from the grandstand, thrilling stretch drives and emotional winner’s circle celebrations.
Three-year-old pacing filly Putnam Mackenzie kicked off a joyous winner’s circle celebration for owners Martin and Coral Bardoel of Putnam Training Centre Ltd. in Mossley, ON, and their son Jamie Bardoel of London, when she swept out three-wide at the three-quarter pole and roared home to a three length victory in the fifth race.
“I wasn’t nervous,” said Jamie Bardoel from the winner’s circle. “When she was coming three-wide, we knew she was a winner.”
In rein to Randy Waples, Putnam Mackenzie reeled in pacesetter Modern Beauty at the three-quarter marker and sailed home to a three length win in 1:55.3 on a soggy track rated one second slower than normal. Modern Beauty stayed game for the second place share of the $100,000 Grassroots Final purse, and Lucky Jeans was three more lengths back in third.
David Menary trains the homebred daughter of Grinfromeartoear and Royas Bambi for the Bardoel’s and sent her into the Grassroots post season with a flawless record of three wins in three Grassroots starts. The winner of $190,751 also took on the Gold Series fillies at Grand River Raceway in late September and delivered an impressive third-place result. Off that effort Menary and the Bardoel’s opted to skip the last regular season Grassroots event and will allow Putnam Mackenzie to try her hand against the top class fillies again on Oct. 28 at Woodbine Racetrack.
“Because Martin and Jamie never really put the pressure on me, we’ve been able to race her easy, train her easy, and that’s why she stayed fresh, because they never put the pressure on her looking for more,” said Menary, who captured last year’s sophomore pacing filly championship with Chief Karen. “It made our job easy, and at the end of the year we’ve still got a nice horse. We’ll talk about it together, but we’ll probably try her in the last Gold. She deserves a rest, but she really doesn’t need one.”
While two-year-old pacing colt champion Just Asign To Me is not likely in need of a rest, owner-trainer Bruce Gilkinson said he was looking forward to getting a full night’s sleep after the gelding successfully completed the rare feat of a perfect Grassroots season with another dominant performance Saturday.
“I actually hold my breath until he crosses the finish line. Every time, I stress and I worry until he finishes and he’s safe and everything’s good, so it’s never been easy,” said an emotional Gilkinson. “This is $100,000, I don’t know how the people do it in the millions. I haven’t slept all freaking summer. I’m going to sleep well tonight.”
Starting from the trailing post eight, Just Asign To Me got away fourth as Adventure Bound and Mach Wheel battled out to a :27 opening quarter. Sweeping around the second turn driver Trevor Henry sent the heavy favourite up the outside, and Just Asign To Me had taken command by the :56.1 half. The Geartogear son carried on to a 1:25.2 three-quarters and was a four length winner in 1:56.3. Facebook closed from seventh at the top of the stretch to grab second place honours and Hi Sir had to circle out three-wide at the three-quarter marker to get up for third.
After being purchased by Listowel, ON resident Gilkinson off an online auction site for $21,500 in June, Just Asign To Me went on to capture all six of his regular season Grassroots starts, setting two track records and one Ontario Sires Stakes record along the way, and last week’s Semifinal to amass a provincial record of eight wins in eight starts. The gelding’s only losses came in two overnight events at Mohawk Racetrack in August.
“We’re happy that it’s over, but we’re sad too, because it’s been so much fun,” said Gilkinson, who is assisted in Just Asign To Me’s care by his brother Murray Gilkinson. “It’s been great. He’s been everything everybody ever dreamed of — and we got him.”
Joy and grief also accompanied three-year-old trotting colt winner Watkins to the winner’s circle on Saturday, as owner-trainer Dr. Peter Johnston and his family mourned the recent loss of their wife and mother Judie, and celebrated the success of a colt that she had loved.
“It’s bittersweet because my mom would have loved just to be here, to have this, this was her horse. We call him Hammy, and she loved Hammy, so it was really special for her to follow him,” said a tearful Dr. Paul Johnston, standing in the winner’s circle with his daughter Claire and sister Cathy Voteary. “She was sick for the last four months, and she was in the hospital, and she used to have pictures up in her hospital room.”
Watkins got a perfect second over trip from driver Mike Saftic to arrive at the top of the stretch sitting third. As the field straightened out behind pacesetter Lexis D J, Saftic aimed the Striking Sahbra son for open racetrack and the pair sprinted by their season long rival Boogie Woogie and Keith Oliver, who made a costly late break. Watkins sailed under the wire in 1:59, one and one-quarter lengths ahead of favourite Fuel Cell and Northern Spark, who could not be separated by a magnifying glass and shared the second-place spoils.
Residents of Peterborough, ON, the Johnston family’s Idylwood Stables Inc. bred and own Watkins in partnership with Watkins Equine Inc. of Newcastle, ON. Like Putnam Mackenzie, Watkins will take a late season swing at the Gold Series horses over his hometown oval Kawartha Downs on Oct. 26.
In addition to Putnam Mackenzie, driver Randy Waples scored a second Grassroots Championship with two-year-old trotting colt Tamarind, guiding the youngster to a one length win over Chuckalo Caden and fan favourite Assignment. The Angus Hall son stopped the clock at 2:01.1 to record his fourth lifetime win for trainer Mark Steacy and owners Landmark III Racing Stable of Elginburg, ON, David Reid of Glenburnie, ON, and Stan Klemencic of Trenton, ON.
Young reinsman Scott Zeron also recorded two Grassroots Championship victories and jumped out to a 19 point lead over his rival Doug McNair in the Ontario Sires Stakes driver’s standings. Oakville, ON resident Zeron made his first appearance in the Western Fair winner’s circle with three-year-old trotting filly Bertos Angel, guiding the fan favourite to a half length victory in 2:00.1 for trainer Rob Fellows and owners John Wagner of Fairfax, VA and Scott Woogen of Mechanicsville, VA. Keystone Ballerina and Isthatallyagot rounded out the top three.
Twenty-one year old Zeron earned his second Grassroots photo op with an upset score aboard Ise The By Boy in the three-year-old pacing colt Championship. The pair was able to slip to the outside behind Semifinal winner This Is Wyatt heading by the three-quarters, and then sprint home to a quarter length victory over pacesetting favourite Good Bad Lucky in a personal best 1:54.1. This Is Wyatt took home third-place honours.
Murray Brethour conditions Ise The By Boy for Kevin Isaac of Bridgenorth, ON, Steve Boyce and Wayne Kilner of Peterborough, ON, and first time owner Jack Pearson of Bewdley, ON. Saturday’s win was the Mach Three son’s fifth in 21 starts this season and boosted his career earnings to $98,812.
Although Joe Hudon Jr. was not able to land division point leader This Is Wyatt a Championship trophy, the Acton, ON resident did not go home empty handed. Two-year-old trotting filly Magic Wheel opened the evening’s Grassroots festivities with a 2:01.3 score over favourite Some Like It Hot and Wild Logic to give Hudon his second straight freshman trotting filly Grassroots title. Karen Hudon drove the filly to the one length victory for her partner Margaret Payne of St. Augustine, FL.
Two-year-old pacing filly Camille won the other $100,000 Grassroots Final with a commanding two length victory in 1:57. Jason Brewer piloted the daughter of Camluck and Art Of Design to the win over Trusting and Epoxy Queen for trainer Rod Duford and owner-breeder Larry Pollard of Harrow, ON. The full sister to $1.5 million winner Chancey Lady wrapped up her freshman campaign with a record of four wins, one second, two thirds and earnings of $96,580.
For complete results click: Western Fair Raceway Results — Oct. 23, 2010