GLOUCESTER, ON — Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts complete their Grassroots regular season at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening.
With just three divisions going postward on the 6:30 pm program, competition will be stiff among the six colts tied for the last berth in the Oct. 28 Grassroots Semifinal at Hiawatha Horse Park. Among the colts hoping to edge into the post season with a strong result on Sunday is Stormont Welldone, who starts from Post 5 in the first $31,238 division.
“We’re hoping he could go down there and be first or second and then he would be in the Semifinal,” says trainer Norm Jones. “I haven’t checked the standings recently, but I imagine 100 points should get you into the Semifinal.”
Stormont Welldone earned 50 points in his last Grassroots start, a convincing eight and one-quarter length victory at Georgian Downs on Sept. 25, and Jones is hopeful that things are falling into place for the Balanced Image son.
“He’s finally come around to what he is supposed to be, what he is bred to be,” says the Campbellville resident. “He always would roll off and go running, but I finally got the right kind of weight on his front feet and, touch wood, he’s been flawless his last two starts.”
Jones trains the son of $248,120 winner Grill Now for breeders Stormont Meadows of Long Sault. In addition to his 1:59.3 Grassroots victory, the young trotter has a second-place finish in a Sept. 10 overnight event at Grand River Raceway to his credit through four starts.
“I don’t push my two-year-olds any more. If you look at my record, I’ve made $10 million with horses and they all made their money at three,” says Jones. “That’s why I’m not at the Gold in Flamboro. We could have gone to the Gold, but I want to protect him as long as possible.”
While Stormont Welldone has only recently started to deliver results on the racetrack, Jones says the chestnut colt has always been remarkably well mannered at home.
“I’ll tell you how good he is to jog. I have an 11-year-old daughter, Desiree, and nobody jogged him all summer but her,” says Jones. “He is one of those perfect mannered Balanced Image colts, which you don’t get every day.”
Stephen Byron will pilot Stormont Welldone in Sunday’s fourth race, and the reinsman will have his eyes peeled for two-time Grassroots winners Northern Patriot from Post 4 and EL Leonard from Post 6.
The two-year-old trotting colts are also featured in Races 6 and 8 on Rideau Carleton Raceway’s 6:30 pm program Sunday. Following the conclusion of Sunday’s contest, the top 16 point earners will advance to the Oct. 28 Semifinals with the top four finishers from each Semifinal securing a spot in the $100,000 Grassroots Championship on Nov. 6.