DUNDAS, Ont., May 19, 2024 – The OSS Grassroots season kicked off with a trio of races Sunday at Flamboro Downs on Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup night.

Beginning the evening of $20,000 Grassroots events, in Race 2, the Keith Jones-trained, Jefferey Ruch and Alfred Ross-bred, Douglas McCarthy-owned NORTH OF NINE (ROYALTY FOR LIFE) scored the win.

Emerging from the three-hole coming around the final turn, NORTH OF NINE showed fantastic finishing kick to easily win.

“Coming out of the third turn I knew I had a pretty good shot, because I saw in the front the top horse felt like he was getting a little tired,” said NORTH OF NINE driver Louis-Philippe Roy.

Race 4 saw the second of the three Grassroots events with the MUSCLE MASS-sired gelding STORMONT HAPPY DAY winning that race as a 5-1 longshot.

Trained by Kevin Benn and bred by owner Stormont Meadows, STORMONT HAPPY DAY, proved to be a pleasant surprise for veteran driver Bob McClure.

“Kevin Benn usually has some pretty good to drive [horses], so I wasn’t too worried about that,” said McClure. “But being on a half-mile, you have to be pretty careful in the turns, which are a lot tighter. He really wanted to get out of there, he was a little warm, but once he settled down he was trotting good.”

The final race of the OSS Grassroots trifecta, Race 8, was taken by MUSCLE DETECTOR (ALARM DETECTOR).

Bred by Mike Sparks, the Gregg McNair trained, McNair-, Dean Lockhart-, Thomas Rankin-owned, and Doug McNair driven gelding delivered a dominant performance.

“He trained down good all winter,” said Gregg McNair.

The Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup final was scored by HUNTINTHELASTDOLAR, a Crawford Farms-bred, John Fielding and E Five Racing-owned, Per Engblom-trained four-year-old gelding, driven to victory by Yannick Gingras.

Sunday’s event marked the kickoff to the OSS 50th Anniversary celebration. To mark the occasion, a booth was setup celebrating the lush history of the Sires Stakes

“The OSS has really been a spectacular success in the province,” said longtime breeder Jim Bullock, whose ALEXANDER (MUSCLE MASS), finished third in the opening OSS Grassroots trot. “I don’t think it would’ve been commercially possible to stand stallions without the OSS. So it’s been a great program, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years.”

Complete results from Thursday’s program are available here and replays can be viewed on the Flamboro Downs website.

Ontario Sires Stakes action returns Woodbine Mohawk Park next Saturday, May 25 with a Grassroots with three-year-old pacing fillies and the season debut of the Gold series with a trio of races.

Feature Image: MUSCLE DETECTOR and driver Doug McNair easily took the $20,000 OSS Grassroots series race for trotting colts Sunday at Flamboro Downs. (Photo credit: Carter Gimblett)