A look at Saturday’s Grassroots finals

MILTON, ON – This Saturday, September 30, the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championships will bring big harness racing fields of two and three-year-old trotting and pacing talent to Woodbine Mohawk Park for eight $75,000 finals.

Post time is 7:10 p.m. and the two-year-old trotting fillies will kick off the championship action in race two.

Race 2
Among the 10 two-year-old trotting fillies vying for the title, Flirty Dancer (Lookslikeachpndale–Hola Lola) has four Grassroots victories, taking her 1:57.1 mark in the first divisional Semi-Final. Driver Scott Young stays with the Paul Reid trainee. Her closest statistical rival is Birthday Money (Resolve–Parkhill Nocredit), second in the standings. Trained/driven by Matt Bax, she finished third to Flirty Dancer at Woodbine Mohawk Park on September 21, trotting her fastest individual mile (1:57.4).

​Race 3

Race three features two-year-old pacing fillies. A winner of Grassroots Legs at three different tracks, Tribal Dancer (Sunshine Beach–That Day) returns to Jody Jamieson for the Final. The Melissa Lamoureux trainee looks to return to the Woodbine Mohawk Park winner’s circle after finishing fourth as beaten 4–5 favourite in the Grassroots Semi-Final.

Betterwithglasses (Betterthancheddar–London Eye) and driver Trevor Henry upset at 7–1 odds that race but must overcome post ten Saturday night. Trained by Vic Puddy, she lowered her record to 1:52.2 in the Semi-Final. She is currently fourth by earnings in her division, only $100 behind Greatest Pleasure (Bettors Delight–Twin B Imabeach), who starts from post three for driver Chris Christoforou and trainer Luc Blais in the final. She has three Grassroots victories, taking a 1:52 mark in Leg 4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, then repeating in the 1:52.3 Semi-Final.

​Race 4

Two-year-old male trotters take center stage in race four, led by divisional number one Northernchancellor (Muscle Mass–Honor Grad). He was edged out by fast-closing Nzuri in a September 21, win photo and seeks his first OSS win at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday. The Bruce MacDonald-trained gelding won Grassroots Legs two and four at Grand River Raceway and Georgian Downs for regular driver Austin Sorrie.

To his immediate outside is 5–2 morning line favourite Salem Seelster (Muscle Mass–Speak Of The Devil), who took his 1:56 record winning his Grassroots Semi-Final. Jody Jamieson catch drives the gelding, currently number six in the standings for trainer Luc Blais. Salem Seelster surged past rival Ways N Means (Muscle Mass–Mariongotchocolate) at the wire last start. Paul MacDonell stays with the Mike Keeling-trained Ways N Means, who starts from post three Saturday.

​Race 6
In race six, win-streaking Smashin Racquets (Resolve–Princess Serena) headlines the three-year-old filly trotting Final for trainer Kyle Fellows. He also sends out Cardio Muscle (Muscle Mass–Cardio Pump), number 16 in the standings. Pretty Special (Resolve–Pretty Crafty) is morning line favourite at 5–2. Trained by Camilla Christoforou and driven by Chris Christoforou, she is third on the leaderboard after lowering her mark to 1:53.3 in a going-away Grassroots Semi-Final victory.

​Race 7

Race seven sees three-year-old filly pacers in the spotlight. Twin Delight (Bettors Delight–Twin B Cheeks) draws outside again, following her hard-fought 1:52.3 Grassroots Semi-Final win from post ten. Bob McClure drives the winner of four 2023 Grassroots Legs, who was second in last year’s two-year-old Grassroots final. Conditioner Shawn Steacy sends out Twin Delight and three other finalists: Kuper Trooper (No. 20 in the Grassroots standings), Dance With Tabby (No. 16), and 3–1 morning line favourite Century Jamila (No. 2).

​Race 8

Two-year-old pacing colts and geldings face off in race eight. Jody Jamieson catch drives 6–5 morning line favourite T H Mcmurry (McWicked–Waasmula), a 1:51.4 July 10 Gold Series winner who remains undefeated in Grassroots competition. He held off Shawn Steacy trainee Unrivaled Hanover (Bettors Delight–Upside Surprise) in their September 21, Semi-Final. That rival hopes to build on a 1:56.1 maiden win in Grassroots Leg three at Grand River Raceway.

​Race 9

Race nine brings together Grassroots Semi-Final winner New Rules (Lookslikeachpndale–Mini Her) and divisional frontrunner Resolve To Win (Resolve–Sensual Hall), the September 22, place finisher. New Rules is second in the standings for three-year-old male trotters, lowering his mark to 1:53 in Grassroots Leg five at Woodbine Mohawk Park for regular driver Austin Sorrie and trainer Marcel Barrieau. The 10-horse final includes 2022 two-year-old Gold Super Final champion DWs Point Man (My MVP-Yankeedoodlecandy), 13th in the 2023 Grassroots standings for trainer Marie-Hélène Dupont.

​Race 10

In race ten, Winmebak (Shadow Play–Winbak Speedi) debuts for Bob McClure in the three-year-old male pacing final. The Nick Gallucci trainee was a co-leader in the division standings, undefeated in Grassroots Legs four and five at Woodbine Mohawk Park, plus his September 21, Semi-Final. Ahi Sunshine (Sunshine Beach–Racey Miss) closed in on 1:51.2 winner Palladium Hanover (Artspeak–Pilgrims Witchie) late in the second Semi-Final. The Shawn Steacy and Jodie Cullen trainees show strong form going into the championship and will start from posts three and six.

by Mel Keith, for Ontario Racing