CLINTON, ON — Clinton Raceway will feature outstanding Ontario Sires Stakes action as part of its next two Sunday matinees and the three-year-old trotting colts kick things off this week with four divisions in their final Grassroots event.
The top 10 colts have already locked up their spots in the Grassroots Semifinal, but competition for the last six post season berths will be intense. Trainer George Zirnis will harness a trio of trotters at Clinton on Sunday, with two of them assured a spot in the Semifinal and one needing a top five finish to make the trip to Windsor Raceway on Oct. 27.
Both colts sitting in the top 10 are owned by the Smart Cat Stable, which includes Jack and Nancy Holmes of Clinton. Royal King Pin has accumulated 133 points from two wins, one second and one fourth in four starts while Carrland Buddy has one win and two thirds in three starts for 74 points.
“Aren’t they a pair of dandies. We’re not complaining one bit,” says Jack Holmes. “I think the last time (Carrland) Buddy raced he went over $300,000. He’s been a good horse for us no matter where we’ve put him.”
Both colts head into Sunday’s event off a two week vacation from the races since the last Grassroots event, Sept. 7 at Sudbury Downs, where Carrland Buddy logged a third-place finish and Royal King Pin posted his fifth win of the 2002 season. Zirnis will send Flak Bait son Carrland Buddy after a Grassroots trophy from Post 1 in the third race and Royal King Pin will attempt to make it two in a row from Post 4 in Race 11.
Carrland Buddy competed in the Gold Series ranks as a two-year-old, capturing two Gold Finals and earning $235,676, while Royal King Pin has finally put the pieces together for the Smart Cat Stable this year after a frustrating two-year-old campaign that saw the Royal Strength son go winless in 11 starts.
“He’s come around pretty good,” says Holmes. “But he’s from a pretty good family.”
The Holmes family will be out in force to watch the colts compete at Clinton on Sunday, an outing they have made more than once during their long time involvement in harness racing.
“We bought the first one in 1962,” says Holmes. “We’ve been at this for a while the wife and I, and 99.9 per cent have been trotters.”
Holmes and the other members of the Smart Cat Stable will also be rooting for Zirnis’s other entry, Total Mayhem, who will make his bid for a post season berth from Post 2 in the fourth race. The Promising Catch son was required to qualify after making a break in Sudbury and heads into Sunday’s contest off a 2:02.1 win in his Sept. 13 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack.
Clinton Raceway’s popular matinee’s get under way at 1:30 pm and the three-year-old trotting colts are showcased in Races 3, 4, 10 and 11 this Sunday.