ELORA, ON — This Is Wyatt was treated to the ideal tour around Grand River Raceway on Monday evening, and the three-year-old pacer took full advantage, posting the quickest mile of six $24,000 Grassroots divisions.

Starting from Post 4 with trainer-driver Joe Hudon Jr. in the race bike, This Is Wyatt left smartly and dropped into the pocket behind fan favourite Luckamotion. As Luckamotion rolled through fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:24.2, This Is Wyatt was hot on his heels, the leaders leaving the remainder of the field in their wake.

As the leaders rolled around the final turn Hudon tipped This Is Wyatt to the outside and the Astreos son rocked home to a two length victory in 1:53.2. After doing all the hard work on the front end Luckamotion had to settle for second, while Toughest Of All crossed the wire nine lengths behind the leaders in third.

Joe and Karen Hudon of Acton, ON share ownership on This Is Wyatt, who jumped to the top of the three-year-old pacing colt Grassroots standings with the win. Through four Grassroots outings the homebred has accumulated two wins, one second and one third for a point tally of 137. Unraced at two, This Is Wyatt has a record of three wins, three seconds and five thirds in 17 sophomore starts for earnings of $59,610.

Hudon’s other entry in Monday’s Grassroots event was Raging Grin, who finished fourth in the last division, well back of leader Sniper Seelster.

Starting from Post 4, driver Robert Shepherd opted out of the early skirmish for the front end, allowing Sniper Seelster to ease down onto the rail in sixth. St Lads Cable Guy won the early speed battle and rang up a :27.4 quarter and a :56.4 half before seeing much action from the back field. Modern Era was the first to step to the outside, but when that colt did not gain ground on the pacesetter Tony Kerwood sent former Gold Series competitor Grin For Money after the lead, and wrestled control away from St Lads Cable Guy just past the 1:26.3 three-quarters.

Shepherd had sent Sniper Seelster up the outside behind Grin For Money, and when that colt settled onto the lead, Shepherd and the fan favourite simply roared on by, sailing down the stretch to a two and one half length victory in 1:55.3. Modern Era came on in the stretch to grab the second-place share of the $24,000 purse, leaving Grin For Money with the third-place spoils.

Monday’s victory was Sniper Seelster’s first in Grassroots competition. In two previous provincial appearances the son of Western Maverick delivered a second and a fourth to owners Kristina Wilcox of Windsor, ON and Timothy Wilcox of Tilbury, ON. Tracy Wilcox trains the gelding, who boasts a record of four wins, two seconds and one third in eight sophomore starts for earnings of $39,930.

Local colt Encore Seelster came within a head of his second Grassroots victory in the seventh race, leading the field through fractions of :27.3, :56.3, and 1:26.1 before being caught at the wire by pocket sitter Mister Russ in 1:56. The duo held off a late charge from race favourite Ise The By Boy, who circled out three-wide at the three-quarters to grab the third spot, just half a length behind the leaders.

Paul Ritchie of Orangeville, ON, trainer Jim Ritchie of Grand Valley, ON and Murray Cox of Rockwood, ON share ownership of Encore Seelster, while The Merks Stable of New York, NY owns Mister Russ. J. R. Plante was aboard Mister Russ for the Rustler Hanover gelding’s second Grassroots victory. Joe Pereira trains Mister Russ, who jumped into third spot in the division standings with the win.

Cambridge, ON resident Robert Shepherd picked up a second Grassroots victory in the third race with Little Gold Ring, who stepped to a 1:53.4 score over Andy Baran and Modern Valentine. The Western Terror gelding is trained by Shawn Robinson for Doron Mikdash of Panama City, PAN and now has two wins, one second and one third in six starts this season.

The other two Grassroots divisions went to Ciona Bromach and driver Scott Coulter, who stopped the Grand River teletimer at 1:55.1 for owner-trainer-breeder Debi Obrienmoran of Wrightstown, NJ, and Texas Seelster and driver Scott Zeron, who led the field to a 1:54.3 score for trainer Scott Barr and owners Barbara and Robert Parker of Dorchester, ON.

The battle for one of 16 spots in the Grassroots post season will intensify when the three-year-old pacing colts head to Sudbury Downs on Sept. 15 for their second last Grassroots event. Competition will also be fierce amongst the three-year-old trotting fillies when they make their way to Grand River Raceway on Wednesday, Sept. 8 for their second last Grassroots contest.

For complete results please go to: Grand River Raceway Results — August 23, 2010