SUDBURY, ON — Fiesty Flyer impressed Sudbury Downs fans on Saturday evening as the three-year-old pacing gelding scored his second straight Grassroots victory in track record time.
Starting from Post 4 with driver Jonathan Drury subbing for regular reinsman Scott Zeron, Fiesty Flyer went straight to the front and rolled through fractions of :27.4, :55, and 1:24.2 before coasting home to a five and three-quarter length victory in a track record 1:54.3.
Random Mission picked up second-place spoils, with Tylers Great five more lengths to the rear in third.
Exeter resident Bob Hamather bred and owns Fiesty Flyer, a son of Camluck and So Fiesty. Through five starts this season the gelding has amassed four wins and one second for earnings of $41,750. The Casie Coleman trainee is a perfect two-for-two through the first two events of the Grassroots season.
Addwater also scored a repeat of his season opening Grassroots victory, cruising around the Sudbury Downs half-mile to a 1:54.4 triumph over Life Signature and Kendal Gustav.
Joe Pereira conditions Addwater for The Merks Stable of New York, NY and has engineered three wins, one second and one third through 11 sophomore starts for the son of Mach Three. Aaron Byron piloted Addwater to the win, making his second appearance of the evening in the Grassroots winner’s circle.
Byron also smiled for the Sudbury Downs photographer following the first $24,000 Grassroots division, when he urged Smokin Bear to a nose victory over fan favourite Lucky Jet. OK Ebury was seven lengths behind the leaders in third.
Hamilton resident Dean Nixon conditions Smokin Bear for his partners Harry and Iris Horowitz of Brooklyn, NY. The Grinfromeartoear gelding has tallied five wins and three seconds through 13 starts this season and Saturday’s outing marked his debut in the Ontario Sires Stakes program.
The second division also featured a close finish as Franceschetti edged out favourite and pacesetter So Take That. Michael Horner guided Franceschetti to his first win of the season for his brother, trainer Mark Horner, and owners R A W Equine Inc. of Burlington and Sure Gain Stable of Mitchell.
The Mach Three gelding halted the clock in a personal best 1:55.3 and added a win to the third-place finish he scored in the Grassroots season opener at Clinton Raceway on June 10.
Espen De Vie led the field from start to finish in the seventh race and stayed game in the stretch to secure a quarter length victory over Machal Jordan and favourite In Commando. Daniel Clements guided Espen De Vie to his fifth win of the season for trainer Kevin O’Reilly and owners Joie De Vie Farm LLC of Jobstown, NJ, Leslie Cahn of Brigantine, NJ, Roger Cahn of Huntington Station, NY and Max Wernick of New City, NY.
The other Grassroots trophy went home with Machapelo and driver Jason Brewer who romped to a five and three-quarter length victory in 1:54.4, besting Coach Cal and Blade Seelster. Mike Keeling trains the former Gold Final winner for Enviro Stables Ltd. of South Hampton, NY. The win was the Mach Three son’s first of the season.
The talented three-year-old pacing colts make their third Grassroots start at Grand River Raceway on July 23.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Sudbury Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 22 with Grassroots action for the two-year-old pacing colts.
For complete results please go to Sudbury Downs Results — June 23, 2012