SARNIA, ON — Trotting specialist Trevor Ritchie picked up the catch drive on Red Hot Survivor in Thursday night’s Grassroots event at Hiawatha Horse Park and piloted the three-year-old trotting colt to a lifetime best mark just three-fifths of a second off the track record.
Leaving from Post 4 in the second race, Ritchie settled the colt into fourth spot as Tara Ballyduff and Henry The First duelled to a :26.3 opening quarter. As Zoltar Seelster tipped out and started to press the pace to the :56.1 half, Ritchie sent Red Hot Survivor up the outside in his wake and took control of the race just past the 1:25.3 three-quarters.
At the top of the stretch Red Hot Survivor had established a two length lead and by the time the Wesgate Crown son and Ritchie hit the wire in 1:56.3 they were five lengths ahead of runner-up Certified Election and more than 10 lengths in front of third-place finisher Zoltar Seelster.
Steve Bossence of London trains Red Hot Survivor for his partners Pamela Hall of London and Chris Alexander of Bolton. The late blooming colt has just six starts on his resume, with two wins and one second to his credit for earnings of $14,300.
The win was the first of three Ritchie scored in Grassroots action, with his second visit to the Hiawatha winner’s circle coming aboard Mr Garjangles in Race 6.
Things did not get off to an auspicious start for the duo as Mr Garjangles made a break leaving the starting gate, however Ritchie restored order quickly and the Mr Lavec son was stalking the leaders from third by the half. Gaining ground steadily on the outside, Mr Garjangles was on top by one length as the colts turned for home and pulled effortlessly away to a seven length victory in 1:59. Turn That Down earned the runner-up share of the $18,000 purse and pacesetter Northern Fortune wound up third.
Canamerica Capital Corp. of Milton, Doug Millard Holdings Inc. of Woodstock and Stephen Scarff of Bedford, NS share ownership on Mr Garjangles, who is trained by Cal Campbell.
Ritchie completed the driving hat trick one race later when he stepped onto the race bike behind Armbro Approach and engineered another impressive come-from-behind win.
Winless in four starts this season, Armbro Approach sat fifth through most of the mile as Brisk Success posted fractions of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:27. Almost four lengths back at the top of the stretch, Ritchie found the colt’s overdrive button and the duo powered to a four length victory in 1:57. Pacesetter Brisk Success settled for second and Bone Crusher was four more lengths back in third.
Geoff Maltby trains Armbro Approach for the Jeff Miller Stable of Haviland, OH.
Don McElroy and Tyrone Dillon also posted an impressive effort in the ninth race, cruising from wire to wire in 1:58.2 for trainer Robert McIntosh of Windsor and his partners Dave Boyle of Bowmanville and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, ON. The win was the Balanced Image son’s second in Grassroots action this season and gives him sole ownership of top spot on the leaderboard with 100 points.
Grand Turk and C S Ruff Start finished five lengths behind Tyrone Dillon to round out the top three.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Otis Seelster in 2:01.2, Another View in 2:00.1 and Jojos Image in 2:01.1.
The three-year-old trotting colts make the third stop on their 2003 Grassroots tour Aug. 16 at Georgian Downs.
Ontario Sires Stakes action also returns to Hiawatha Horse Park in August, with the three-year-old trotting fillies making their way to the Sarnia oval on Thursday, Aug. 21 for their final Trillium Series event.