SUDBURY, ON — When Wayne MacLean acquired Whitesand Noble in January 2005, the Chelmsford resident was just hoping that the weanling colt would grow up to be a racehorse, thoughts of Ontario Sires Stakes success never crossed his mind.

Two and a half years later Whitesand Noble shares second spot in the Grassroots standings after scoring two wins and one second in three provincial starts, and is a hometown favourite as the sophomore pacing colts bring their high speed rivalry to Sudbury Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 29.

“I just bought him to have a young horse in the future,” recalls MacLean. “I never expected him to be an OSS horse. I didn’t expect him to be as good as he is.”

Since his sophomore debut in February, Whitesand Noble has recorded six wins, three seconds and two thirds for earnings of $42,989. He was a Grassroots winner in the June 18 season opener at Western Fair Raceway, delivered an impressive effort to dead heat for the win at Clinton Raceway on July 15 and circled out three wide to finish third behind division point leader The Grin Man at Flamboro Downs on Aug. 8.

In the last six weeks the son of Intrepid Seelster and Blue Violet has finished no worse than third, recorded a 1:53.1 personal best at Georgian Downs, and held his own against the preferred horses at Sudbury Downs.

“The other night (Aug. 22) at Sudbury he was in with the preferred horses and finished second,” notes MacLean, who shares ownership on Whitesand Noble with Jocelyne Menard of Chelmsford and Lesley Kennedy of Port Dover. “And he’s got two wins in the OSS. I can’t believe that.”

MacLean tried his charge in the Ontario Sires Stakes program last season — finishing third in a Grassroots division in July, fourth in a Gold Elimination in August and eighth in a September Gold Elimination — but the horseman says Whitesand Noble came back to work this season a changed animal.

“He came back twice the horse he was last year,” says the trainer-driver. “He grew up, and even his manner changed. Last year he was always picking at somebody or trying to step on somebody, this year he’s really settled down.”

Whitesand Noble and MacLean will be handicapped by the outside Post 8 at their hometown oval on Wednesday, but the veteran reinsman is hoping the colt’s versatility will help them battle a tough Race 7 field which includes two time Grassroots winners Mighty And Strong and Test Flight from Posts 3 and 6.

“He’s very handy, you can leave with him or take him off,” says MacLean. “And he loves the helmet, he’ll follow it all day.”

Post time at Sudbury Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 29 is 7:15 pm and Whitesand Noble and his three-year-old pacing colt peers will entertain fans in Races 2, 5, 7, 8, and 11.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esudbywe.html