Woodbine Mohawk Park: OSS Grassroots Semi-Finals held for 3-year-olds

Seventy-eight of Ontario's top 3-year-old trotters and pacers converged on Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Oct. 2 for eight C$20,000 Grassroots Semi-Finals, and the battles for a berth in next weekend's Championships saw five of the eight contests decided by one-half length or less.

Three-year-old pacing filly Semi-Finals

The sophomore pacing fillies opened and closed the program in races one and 11, and both Semi-Finals were a fight from start to finish.

The first split saw the field turn for home separated by just three lengths, and it was Lyons Tilt Hanover who kicked home hardest to claim a 1 1/2 length win in 1:52 2/5. Need Ur Opinion and Bettorthanbobbi also closed hard to be second and third, leaving favorite Mia Culpa to settle for fourth. Kat rounded out the qualifiers for the Oct. 10 Grassroots Championship.

Anthony Beaton trains Lyons Tilt Hanover for Threelyonsracing and said the stalking style has been working for the Bettor's Delight daughter and driver J Harris since the filly arrived in his barn in early August.

"When I first got her it looked like she kind of closed good, and that first overnight race we raced (Aug. 18) I just told J, I said, 'Listen, I'm not sure what we've got here, and she's been off for about 40 days, let's just take this like a qualifier and let her pace home and see what she's got,'" said Beaton. "She almost got up to win that night and raced super, and that's kind of the way we've been using her, stalking the horses and letting her pace home, and it seems to working for her."

Lightly-rated Smiling Dialing swept from last to first in the second pacing filly showdown, sneaking up the inside to get a short nose in front of division point leader Mach My Kiss at the 1:52 3/5 finish. Free Flyin Ticket and Odds On Vero Beach were less than one length back in third and fourth, while favorite Mary Kat was two lengths back in fifth.

"The trip worked out pretty good," said trainer Rod Boyd, who handed the lines over to Jonathan Drury for the first time on Friday. "I think if JD had drove her before he probably would have put her on the outside. She definitely can fly home, so next week I think he'll put her on the outside, give her some clear sailing, let her rock home. She's definitely got potential. She's so small, but she's got a big heart and big kick to her."

Boyd trains Smiling Dialing, a Thinking Out Loud half-sister to last year's 3-year-old pacing filly Grassroots champion So Much More, for 1187422 Ontario Inc.

Three-year-old trotting filly Semi-Finals

In the first trotting filly Semi-Final, Moana and driver James MacDonald snuck up the inside to get a head in front of favorite Sonadora Deo at the 1:56 3/5 finish. Yen was third, No Angel Here fourth, and Noblesse Duharas fifth.

"She's got such quick speed; she doesn't need a whole lot of room to pop through there and as soon as it opened up she just took right off," said MacDonald, who fired the filly out of post eight. "She can get herself spotted with her gate speed, and then if you don't abuse her too bad she'll give you another little kick. She's just a nice little horse."

Shawn Steacy trains Muscle Mass daughter Moana for Landmark 12 Racing Stable, 1187422 Ontario Inc., and Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc.

Division point leader Profound Paragon rebounded from her miscue in the Sept. 21 Grassroots leg with a personal-best 1:55 2/5 mile in the second trotting filly split. Fifth through the first half of the mile, driver Jean-Bernard "Bert" Renaud sent Profound Paragon after the lead at the halfway marker, and the pair were matching strides with pace-setter Highland Foxytrotr by the three-quarters. Race favorite Th Present tried to reel in Profound Paragon in the stretch, but could not get past the leader's saddle pad. HP Starlette finished third, Chelseas Magic was fourth, and She Must Be Magic fifth.

"I thought she was beat with a very nice horse on her back, but she fought to the wire. Now we'll hope for a little better draw next week," said trainer Julie Walker, who sent Profound Paragon out from post eight and stablemate Yen from post nine.

Walker shares ownership of Profound Paragon with breeder Steven Titus. Friday's win was the Muscle Mass daughter's 11th in 15 sophomore starts.

Three-year-old trotting colt and gelding Semi-Finals

Ripped And Ready got to control the tempo in the first trotting colt and gelding Semi-Final, and the Muscle Mass son romped home to a 4 1/2 length victory in a personal-best 1:55 1/5. Race favorite and division point leader Mikey Mass closed hard for second, pocket-sitter Blue Cupertino was third, Kenogami Coco was fourth, and Fit Bitt rounded out the top five.

"He's a really nice colt who hasn't had the racing luck he's needed, but still won plenty of races," said driver Jody Jamieson. "He was on cruise tonight and hopefully will be as good next Saturday."

Jamieson engineered the colt's fifth sophomore win for trainer Thierry Vandenplas and owner/breeder Dr. Ruth Irving. In 10 starts this season Ripped And Ready has only missed the top three on one occasion.

Reigning Grassroots champion Lovedbythemasses romped to a seven length victory in the second trotting colt and gelding Semi-Final. After getting away mid-pack, driver Mike Saftic sent the favorite to the front at the halfway marker, and Lovedbythemasses powered away to a 1:54 1/5 win. Ongoing Royalty, Lexus Markus, Charmbo Prince, and Awesomedabra also qualified for the Grassroots Championship.

"I was a little worried going into it; I didn't know what kind of traffic was going to be in that race with some leavers on the outside, but the way it turned out it was absolutely perfect. He landed good and one of the favorites (Life Is A Feast) unfortunately run in front of me, but when I set sail up the backside it was clear sailing. Once he got to the front he just swelled up," said Saftic. "He's not the best leaver, so sometimes you get a little more traffic than you'd like in front of him, but today it worked out. Hopefully it works out next week, and that will be a good year for him."

Saftic drives Lovedbythemasses for trainer Edward Peconi and his co-owners Nicholas Peconi and Wade Peconi.

Three-year-old pacing colt and gelding Semi-Finals

When Mayhem Hanover's mind wandered briefly on the way to the wire in the first pacing colt and gelding Semi-Final, Bettorbuckleup pounced on the chance to reel in the favorite in the final strides, scoring a nose victory in 1:50 4/5. Two-year-old Grassroots champion Mayhem Hanover settled for second, Sports Obsession was third, Captivate Hanover closed hard for fourth, and YS Mathis was fifth.

"They don't make them like him very often. He's just a tiny little guy, but he's got tons of class," said driver James MacDonald. "He was all out and then the other one (Mayhem Hanover) come back to him just a hair, and as soon as he saw him coming back he just took right off again. He's just a little horse, huge heart, and huge desire to win. He's fun to drive, that’s for sure."

MacDonald steers Bettorbuckleup for trainer Nick Gallucci and owner Millar Farms. The Bettor's Delight colt has not finished worse than third since July 11.

National Sport won the charge to the wire in the second pacing colt and gelding Semi-Final, getting a neck in front of Sundown Kid and pace-setter Poseidon Seelster at the 1:51 2/5 finish. Race favorite and division point leader The Wild Card was fourth, and Twin B Frenchtoast was fifth.

"I knew him from last year; I always liked him, but he had sickness issues last year," said driver Louis-Philippe Roy, who returned to the gelding's race bike for the first time this season on Friday. "He raced good tonight; he never gave up. There were some nice colts in the other division, hopefully he can do as good against them in the final."

Roy engineered National Sport's second win of the season for trainer Jared Bako and owner 1362313 Ontario Ltd.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--