WOODSTOCK, ON — Woodstock Raceway fans were treated to a perfect summer afternoon of Ontario Sires Stakes action on Saturday, featuring a three-year-old trotting colt track record by Reception Hall in the first of nine Grassroots divisions.

Leaving from Post 6, driver Wayne Henry sent Reception Hall directly to the front and cruised through fractions of :29.3, 1:00.2 and 1:30.4 on their way to the 1:59.4 record setting victory. Nine and a half lengths back favourite Machu Picchu claimed second place honours in the $15,000 contest and Pleasure Valley, owned by John Jesson of Tillsonburg, Langcrest Farm of Grand Valley and Frank O’Reilly of Orton, rounded out the top three.

Ross Henry trains Reception Hall for his partners in the Henry Stable of Arthur and breeder Wally Yantz of Bloomingdale. The win moved the Angus Hall gelding into first-place in the sophomore trotting colt Grassroots race with a total of 105 points from two victories and one fifth.

Drivers Mike Saftic and Tony Kerwood dropped into the Woodstock oval for the afternoon and each claimed a pair of Grassroots races. Saftic struck first with a wire-to-wire victory behind favourite Feeling Frazzled in Race 2, powering around the half-mile oval to an eight and a half lengths victory in 2:00.1. Village Favourite and Just Do It earned the second and third-place cheques.

A former Gold Series regular, Feeling Frazzled was making his first start in the Grassroots for trainer Raymond Kinney and owner William Roberts of Bad Axe, MI.

Saftic was back in the winner’s circle two races later with Susanne Kerwood’s Right Mind. Ten lengths ahead of the competition at the three-quarter pole, the pair cruised under the wire in an eased up 2:01.3, three and three-quarter lengths ahead of Industrial Strenth and Claytons Valleylad.

Brittany Farms of Versailles, KY bred Right Mind and share ownership on the Balanced Image son with Jerry Silva of Bellmore, NY, Sampson Street Stables of Old Forge, PA and Jay Novak of Boca Raton, FL. The gelding is a full brother to $310,071 winner Living Image and currently sits in a tie for second in the Grassroots race with 100 points from two victories.

Tony Kerwood teamed up with trainer Bob McIntosh to earn his two trips to the Woodstock winner’s circle. The first came with another former Gold Series tough guy, Brawn Seelster, who was an effortless winner of the seventh race in 2:00.2. McIntosh shares ownership on the gelded son of Berndt Hanover with John Fielding of Toronto and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH.

Armbro Cameron and Pierre Lavec boosted their Grassroots point totals with second and third-place finishes behind Brawn Seelster.

In the next race Kerwood guided Tyrone Spitn Image to a 2:01.3 victory for McIntosh and breeder Dave Boyle of Bowmanville. Runway and Life’s Victories trailed home behind the Balanced Image son in second and third.

A Hay Luva Paige and Shane Weber finished off the afternoon’s Ontario Sires Stakes festivities with their second straight Grassroots win, stopping the clock in 2:03.2. Dr. John Hayes trains the Angus Hall son for his partners KOR Stable Limited of Beamsville and Kim Kaplan of Worcester, MA.

St Lads Speedy picked up the runner-up share and Northern Patriot was third. The other Grassroots divisions went to Freewheel Hanover in 2:00.3, Prize Of Angus in 2:03.1 and King Crimson in 2:00.3.

The three-year-old trotting colts make their fourth Grassroots stop at Hanover Raceway on July 30, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Woodstock Raceway on Saturday, July 23 with Grassroots action for the two-year-old trotting colts.

For complete results please go to:

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