DUNDAS, ON — Ontario’s top two-year-old pacing colts will lay it all on the line at Flamboro Downs Sunday evening as they attempt to secure a spot on the gate in the Oct. 24 Grassroots Semifinal.
Among the colts hoping to make the leap into the top 16 is Whistle Bear, who currently sits just below the cut off with 70 points earned from two seconds, one third and one fourth-place finish in four Grassroots starts. The Lowell Brown trainee will make his post season bid from Post 2 in the eleventh race on Sunday and the Brantford resident is optimistic about the Armbro Operative son’s chances.
“He’s got the two-hole and he can leave a little bit,” says Brown. “That Play For Silver (Post 3) is a very tough horse, but we’ll take a two-hole trip.”
In addition to the inside post, Brown says the close proximity of his farm to the Flamboro oval will also work in the colt’s favour.
“He’s not a very good shipper. He can wear himself out pretty good in the trailer,” says the trainer. “A lot are like that, but he is exceptionally so. The 15 minute drive will be suitable for him.”
In addition to his Grassroots engagements, Whistle Bear captured the Battle Of Waterloo Consolation at Elmira Raceway on Aug. 4, was fourth in his Battle Of Waterloo elimination on July 25 and finished third in an overnight event at Flamboro Downs on Sept. 7.
“He can go on the five-eighths with some of the bigger horses, but his forte is the half-mile,” says Brown, who trains the colt for breeders Black Walnut Stables of Brantford and Aaron Ticknor of Sarnia. “He’s an aggressive little guy.”
Brown has been impressed with Whistle Bear since the colt arrived in his barn last September, noting that he was a quick study and has always had an impressive turn of speed.
“He’s only a small little guy, but he was so truly gaited and had so much speed — in his first training session he went a mile in 2:45 just like standing on your head — I thought he had a shot at being some kind of stakes horse,” says the veteran horseman. “I just train him on the farm track in between races, try to keep him in condition.”
While colts like Whistle Bear hope to make the leap into the top 16, the division leaders will use Sunday’s contest as a final prep before the post season. Point leader Passion Lincoln gets his last regular season start from Post 9 in the ninth race and the colts hovering in second spot, Im A Rustler Too and Sunny Supreme, will be aiming for top finishes from Post 1 in Race 5 and Post 4 in Race 8.
Flamboro Downs sends the first race on its Sunday evening program behind the gate at 6:20 pm and the two-year-old pacing colts take the stage in Races 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11.