All Grassroots winners improve marks at Mohawk

The Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots second leg for sophomore trotting males saw every harness racing division winner lower their lifetime best at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Jun. 23).

Darbyshire (Muscle Mass) continued his improvement and was the fastest winner of the five divisions. He was three lengths the best in 1:53 over Cruising Tom (Bob McClure). Cassius Hanover (Louis-Philippe Roy) finished third. Darbyshire, trained by Matt Bax, is now eight-for-15 lifetime and has earned $80, 213. The gelding is owned by Bax Stable of Campbellville, Glengate Farms of Erin, Goin To The Show Stable of Peterborough, and Happy Trails Stables of London.

DARBYSHIRE REPLAY

New Rules (Lookslikeachpndale, Austin Sorrie) captured the first division, holding off Deadline Hall (Chris Christoforou) in 1:53.2. Kinnder Thinktwice (Roy) finished third. It was the first win of the season for New Rules, who is now three-for-14 lifetime for owners Gestion Mastel of Longueil and Marcel Barrieau of Cambridge. Barrieau trains the gelding.

NEW RULES REPLAY

Resolve To Win (Resolve, Scott Young) took the second split with a third-quarter move. The gelding took over while rounding the final turn and came home to a two-length victory in 1:53.2. The Great Reset (Lorne House) finished second, sticking with the winner after losing the lead. Floyd The Freak (Ed Hensley) was third. Resolve To Win is perfect in the Grassroots this year for Bax. The gelding has won five of his 13 starts and has earned $73,964 for owners Bax Stable, Brad Grant of Milton, Gaelic Stable of Sharon, and Don Allensen of Wyoming.

RESOLVE TO WIN REPLAY

Lite The Candles (Muscle Mass, McClure) was a convincing winner in the fourth division. He was two-and-three-quarter lengths clear of Im Above Average (Stephen Byron) at the line in 1:54.2. Fox Valley Ontario (Tyler Borth) took the show spot. Lite The Candles, who debuted this year for trainer Shawn Steacy. The gelding has won two of eight outings and earned $32,322 for Hudson Standardbred Stable of Hudson and Bridle Path Stables of Ossining.

LITE THE CANDLES REPLAY

The Hazelton (Muscle Mass, McClure) went all the way in the final group and won by two-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:54.1. Rough Tuff Tested (Doug McNair) finished second. Busting With Pride (Tyler Jones) was a clear third. The winner has now won four straight, including both starts in the Grassroots this year. The Mark Etsell-trained gelding has a record of eight-for-10 with $91,880 in earnings. Etsell co-owns him with Terry Devos of Langton, Graham Hopkins of Chesley, and Peter Porter of Port Dover.

THE HAZELTON REPLAY

The next Grassroots leg for three-year-old trotting males is set for Aug. 8 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Hazelton and Resolve To Win are tied for the division lead with 100 points each.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will conclude its week of racing on Saturday, Jun. 24 with a 10-race card beginning at 7:00 p.m. EDT. A $36,000 Free For All features on the card.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink