ELORA, ON — Grand River Raceway wrapped up its 2007 Ontario Sires Stakes season on a high note Monday, as The Mash Potato rocketed around the Elora oval to a track record 1:59.4 score in the first of five $20,897 Grassroots divisions.

With �Mr. OSS’ Dave Wall in the race bike, the two-year-old trotting colt rocketed away from Post 4 and was on top by three and a half lengths when he reached the :28.4 opening quarter. Maintaining the sharp tempo through a 1:00.3 half and 1:30 three quarters, The Mash Potato pulled away in the stretch to an eight and one-quarter length victory over Repayment and Mr Mission.

The 1:59.4 mile lowered the Elora oval’s former two-year-old trotting colt track record, set by Ernie B Earnest in 2006 and matched earlier this season by Dave Wall and Keystone Titan. It also marked a new personal best for The Mash Potato, who is trained by Brenda Spence for owner and breeder John Smith Racing Stable Inc. of Woodlawn.

Through seven starts the son of Potato Race and Riverdance has accumulated four wins and one second. Monday’s victory vaulted The Mash Potato from thirtieth in the division point standings to thirteenth, earning him a berth in the Oct. 20 Grassroots Semifinals at Kawartha Downs.

Wall also appeared in the Grand River winner’s circle following the second Grassroots division, employing the same front-end strategy to earn Canadian Frontier his second Grassroots victory of the season. Leading from gate-to-wire, Wall and Canadian Frontier cruised home one and three-quarter lengths ahead of Jack Man, and seven and one-quarter lengths ahead of fan favourite Nureyev, stopping the clock at 2:01.2.

Todd LaPage of Moira, NY owns and trains Canadian Frontier, who now has five wins and two seconds to his credit through 10 starts. The Dr Ronerail colt wrapped up the Grassroots regular season in a tie for fourth, and will also make the trip to Kawartha Downs on Oct. 20.

Although his 2:03.3 win was not enough to land Dream Of Davey in the Grassroots post season, it was still a satisfying result for Garrett Rooney of Arthur who owns, trains and drives the gelding. The Berndt Hanover son swept up the outside at the three-quarter marker and powered down the stretch to a three and one-quarter length victory over Ernest V and Red Zeppelin.

The 23-year-old Rooney acquired Dream Of Davey in late August and has teamed the gelding to one win and one third in four starts.

The other two division winners, Summerhill Charles and Start Livin, both advanced to the Grassroots post season with their efforts at Grand River Raceway on Monday.

Summerhill Charles hung on for a neck victory in the fourth race, stopping the clock in 2:02.3. Gord Rayner teamed the Duke Of York gelding to the win for trainer Wayne Langille of Harley and Lois and Harley Allison of Hamilton.

Start Livin put together a come-from-behind effort to claim his second straight Grassroots victory for trainer Dan Creighton and his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy. The Striking Sahbra son halted the teletimer at 2:02.1.

The top 16 point earners from the six regular season Grassroots events will now converge on Kawartha Downs on Oct. 20 for a pair of $30,000 Grassroots Semifinals. The top four finishers from each Semifinal will earn a spot in the $100,000 Grassroots Championship on Oct. 27.

For complete results please go to:

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