DUNDAS, ON — Wantasmile’s connections were grinning in the rain at Flamboro Downs on Saturday as the two-year-old pacing colt eked out a win in the fastest of eight $30,000 Grassroots Semifinals.

With Paul Mackenzie in the race bike, the Grinfromeartoear son fired out of Post 4 and led the field through fractions of :28.1, :58.4 and 1:28 over a track rated two seconds slower than normal. Heading down the stretch Windsun Ben and Deuces And Jacks did their best to reel the pacesetter in, but Wantasmile hung on for a nose decision in 1:57.1.

Windsun Ben, owned by Canamerica Capital Corp. and Hyatt Holdings Inc. of Milton and Stephen Scarff of Halifax, NS, picked up the runner-up cheque and Deuces And Jacks, owned and trained by Paris resident Donald Lowes, was just a quarter length back in third. Fourth-place finisher Sauble Ron also advanced to next week’s $100,000 Grassroots Championship.

Antonio Chiaravalle owns Wantasmile, who boosted his freshman record to three wins and one third in seven starts with the victory. Nat Varty trains the young pacer, whose regular season Grassroots victories came on Aug. 19 at Sudbury Downs and Aug. 31 at Flamboro.

Division leader Blatantly Good captured the other pacing colt Semifinal, using front end tactics to post a 1:59.3 victory over Live For Today, Tune Me Out and Themachmanprophecy.

Paul Taylor trains Blatantly Good for Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein and regular reinsman Trevor Henry drove the Albert Albert son to his third straight victory.

Trainer Wayne Henry hauled two Grassroots Semifinal trophies home on Saturday and qualified three young trotters for their respective Championships.

Randy Fritz picked up the catch drive on Henry trainee Powerline Mesa in the second trotting filly Semifinal and turned in a winning performance with the Balanced Image daughter for owner-breeders NGA Powerline of Brantford. Fritz and the chestnut filly clocked a 2:02.3 victory over pacesetter Disco Inferno, Summer Audit and Maple Missy.

Stablemate Tymal Francesca will join Powerline Mesa in the trotting filly final next Saturday after finishing second to favourite Early Renegade in the second race. Wayne Henry and Tymal Francesca finished four lengths back of Early Renegade, who coasted to a 2:02.2 triumph for trainer-driver Kelly Sheppard and owner Clifford Sheppard of Dundas.

Division leader Heads Up Play picked up the third-place finisher’s share for trainer-driver Larry Walker of Morriston and his partners Wayne Murakami of Hamilton and Robert Fasken of Oakville, and St Lads Diva was fourth.

Wayne Henry’s other victory came with trotting colt T Js Mr Lavec in Race 4. The Mr Lavec son and driver Trevor Henry stalked around the Flamboro oval behind The Mad Duke and then sailed to a four length triumph when the pacesetter went off stride turning for home. The 2:03 triumph was the colt’s fourth in eight starts.

Arthur resident Trevor Henry and James Laverty of Sauble Beach bred and own T Js Mr Lavec, who finished the season in second spot in the division standings and bested Keystone Saint, P C Promising Duke and Dalton Hall in the first leg of his post season journey.

Unfortunately Henry trainee and division leader Archies Dream failed to advance to the Oct. 7 Championship, making a series of breaks in the latter stages of the second semifinal and finishing sixth. The victory went to Randy Fritz and Tymal Cherub, who were effortless nine length winners in 2:01.4 for trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph and his partners Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke and 1443059 Ontario Inc., of Oldcastle.

The Mr Lavec son took three runs at the Gold Series before dropping down to the Grassroots program in mid-August. Since then he has been defeated on just two occasions, capturing two Grassroots divisions, a Flamboro Breeders split and a William Wellwood Memorial Trot elimination.

Tymal Cherub bested Whitesand Diablo, King Clifford and P C Corvette to claim his fifth win of the season.

Favourites Magic Maverick and Spun Sugar recorded impressive victories in the pacing filly Semifinals. Magic Maverick cruised under the wire in a smart 1:57.2 to record her fourth straight victory for trainer Robert McIntosh of LaSalle and his partner C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH. The Western Maverick lass and driver Brad Forward outpaced St Pattys Love, Fysia and Amyng For Gold to claim the four length photo opportunity.

Five races later Spun Sugar led her peers to a 1:57.4 victory for trainer Ben Wallace and owner Bradley Grant of Milton. The Camluck miss was piloted to her three length triumph from Post 7 by Mario Baillargeon.

Whitesand Scarlet, Mystically, owned by Sonny Wassilyn of Moffat, and Just Her Way rounded out the top four.

The top four finishers from each Semifinal will now join their three-year-old peers at Flamboro Downs on Saturday, Oct. 7 for eight $100,000 Grassroots Championships.

For complete results please go to:

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