CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Flawless summer weather arrived just in time for Canada Day and the three-year-old pacing colt Grassroots battle at Mohawk Racetrack.
Under a cloudless sky the colts delivered seven impressive miles, with the fastest clocked by Jody Jamieson and Sonic Dancer in the eighth race. Starting from Post 3 Jamieson laid off the early pace set by Tomorrows Treasure, who reached the opening quarter in :26.3. As Lucky Encounter stepped up to take control heading for the :54.3 half, the Moffat resident sent Sonic Dancer up the outside and by the 1:23.1 three-quarters they were circling out three-wide.
At the top of the stretch Sonic Dancer was waging a battle with Just Asign To Me, and a :26.3 final quarter easily propelled him to the victory in a personal best 1:50.3. Mach Wheel and Facebook also closed well from the back field to make it a clean sweep by sons of Mach Three.
Jamieson engineered the victory for trainer Mike Keeling of Cambridge and owner-breeders Enviro Stables Ltd. of South Hampton, NY. Friday’s outing was only the colt’s third lifetime and boosted his record to two wins and one third for earnings of $21,940. Out of $155,632 winner Beach Dancer, who has produced three $250,000-plus winners, Sonic Dancer’s days in the Grassroots program may be numbered if he continues to improve at his current rate.
Mach Of Ballykeel dropped out of the Gold Series to compete at Mohawk on Friday, and the Mach Three son fought hard to earn his first victory of the season. Like Sonic Dancer, Mach Of Ballykeel sat seventh through the early going and then rolled up the outside, sprinting home to a head victory over Tara Micket and Guns An Roses in a personal best 1:52.
Tillsonburg resident Cam McKnight bred, owns and trains Mach Of Ballykeel, and Sylvain Filion of Milton drives the colt, who has one win and one second under his belt through five sophomore starts. Last season the colt was a Gold Final winner and finished fifth on the list of top money earners in the freshman pacing colt division.
Jamieson made a second appearance in the Grassroots winner’s circle following the tenth race, guiding Thats The Life to an effortless one and one-half length victory in 1:52. Cambridge resident Jack Darling conditions Thats The Life for owner-breeder Mitchell Walker of Davison, MI and has helped the Life Sign gelding earn a sophomore record of five wins, one second and two thirds in eight starts.
Officernagentleman and Honorable Henry rounded out the top three in the tenth race.
Driver Scott Zeron continued his run of wins in the Sires Stakes program when he teamed up with Casie Coleman trainee Buckleberry Finn in the seventh race. The Oakville resident used a come-from-behind strategy to earn the colt his second straight win in a personal best 1:52.
Like Sonic Dancer, Buckleberry Finn has just three starts under his belt. West Wins Stable of Cambridge owns the son of Royal Mattjesty and Makin Bucks.
Hi Sir and Grand Master finished one and one-quarter lengths behind Buckleberry Finn in second and third.
P L Earl went gate-to-wire in the first $24,000 division, cruising home a one and three-quarter length victor in 1:52. The Million Dollar Cam son bested Classic Call and All Tricked Out to pick up his third win of the season. Rick Zeron drove the colt to the win for trainer Matthew Dupuis and owners Prince Lee Acres of Uxbridge and 590900 Ontario Ltd. of Brampton.
Wazzup Wazzup eked out a neck victory in Race 4 for trainer Frank Colville and owners High Stakes Inc. of Moffat and Robby Wiratmo Wibawa of Mississauga. The Life Sign son and Jack Moiseyev reeled in Medoland J T for the 1:52 win, while Camaes Fellow closed well to earn the third-place share of the Grassroots purse.
Musselsfrmbrussels wrapped up the Canada Day program with his second straight victory, a six and one-quarter length romp clocked in 1:51.1. Mike Saftic stood in for trainer Lyle MacArthur, who was injured in an accident during a two-year-old pacing colt Grassroots event at Woodstock Racetrack earlier in the day.
MacArthur conditions Musselsfrmbrussels for Anne and Mike Shunock of Dorchester. Through 14 starts this season the Modern Art son has three wins, four seconds and earnings of $50,510.
The three-year-old pacing colts will make their second Grassroots start at Woodstock Raceway on July 29. Ontario Sires Stakes action continues at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday, July 4 with the hotly anticipated two-year-old pacing colt Gold Final, featuring the exciting Warrawee Needy. Post time for Monday’s program is 7:10 pm and the freshman pacing colts will be featured in Race 8.
For complete results please go to: Mohawk Racetrack Results — July 1, 2011