Nzuri highlights Grassroots wrap-up

Nzuri (Muscle Mass) was fastest in the final regular season Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots races of the harness racing season as he won the first division of leg five for freshman trotting males on Tuesday (Sep. 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The gelding, who had previously started once at each tier of the Ontario Sires Stakes program, pressed for the lead for Trevor Henry and got there just past the quarter in :28.4. His rivals let him dictate terms, and Nzuri set down a :58.4 half and 1:28.2 three-quarters.

Fabulous Freddie (Chris Christoforou) was the only horse who could pressure the leader as they entered the stretch, and he put Nzuri under duress as they approached the finish. The closer chipped away at the pacesetter all the way home, but Nzuri survived by a nose and completed the mile in 1:57.

Fabulous Freddie was a game second. Stormont Happy Day (Sylvain Filion) finished third.

NZURI REPLAY

Nzuri’s win was his second lifetime. He debuted with a show finish in the Grassroots, dropped to the Prospect Series and finished third again, and tried the Gold level after winning an overnight. He went from last to fourth in that effort, his most recent before Tuesday’s win. The Paul Walker-trained gelding is now two-for-five with $31,172 in earnings. Walker co-bred him with Julie Walker, and they share ownership with Rodney Foulds of Owen Sound.

Alexander (Muscle Mass, James MacDonald) scored an opportunistic upset victory in the second division, aided by a break. After being gifted the lead from breaking leader and favourite Salem Seelster (Louis-Philippe Roy), the gelding shrugged off Northernchancellor (Austin Sorrie), who then also galloped. Alexander then rolled home to prevail by two-and-a-half-lengths in 1:57.3. Hilarious Archie (Bob McClure) held off R No Mercy (Doug McNair) for second. The winner returned $30.

ALEXANDER REPLAY

The win got Alexander into the win column for the first time. The gelding has raced in every Grassroots leg with two place finishes, a third, and a fifth before his Tuesday outing. He was also second in the Balanced Image final. Matt Bax has trained him to $38,014 in earnings in eight tries for Bax Stable of Campbellville, Glengate Farms, and Don Allensen of Wyoming (ON).

Ways N Means (Muscle Mass, McNair) made it a sweep for OSS-leading stallion Muscle Mass as he closed from fourth-over to score in 1:58. The odds-on favourite was a length-and-a-half clear of Stormont Cheerio (McClure), who also passed third-place finisher Bear Necessities (Tyler Borth).

WAYS N MEANS REPLAY

Ways N Means has won three of his seven starts, including two in the Grassroots. The Michael Keeling pupil has earned $42,373 to date for Dreamville Stable of Cambridge and Harbor Racing Stable of Uxbridge.

With the Grassroots preliminary rounds complete for every division, the semi-finals are up next on Sep. 21 and Sep. 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The $75,000 finals will then go forward on Sep. 30.

Woodbine Mohawk Park continues action with a 10-race card on Thursday, Sep. 14 that will feature three divisions of the Champlain. First post is set for 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink