Enforcer fights to big Grassroots Final upset

MILTON, September 30, 2023 – When the two-year-old pacing colts turned for home in their $75,000 Grassroots Championship on Saturday night (Sep. 30), Aaron Waxman was pretty confident he was going to be visiting the Woodbine Mohawk Park winner’s circle.

“I knew he had a big shot to keep fighting,” said Waxman of Enforcer, the Big Jim-Rough N Ready colt he co-owns with Alan Alber of Thornhill, ON and David Jarvis of Bloomfield Hills, MI. “Especially once T H Mcmurry wasn’t there because I thought that was the only horse that was legitimately better than him, but he’s had his ups and downs through the year, so once he wasn’t there I knew he could maybe fight the rest of them off.”

Sent off as the heavy favourite, T H Mcmurry never got into the mix from Post 2, while Enforcer and driver Chris Christoforou fired out of Post 5 and led the field of 10 freshman to a :27 opening quarter.

Heading for the :55.3 half, Unrivaled Hanover took command, and Vis A Vis Bluechip started the attack up the outer lane, shuffling Enforcer back to third, positions the three colts held through the 1:22.4 three-quarters.

Turning for home, Christoforou swung Enforcer out from behind the pacesetter and the pair, joined by D A Mcdreamy up the inside, duelled to a thrilling finish that saw Enforcer prevail by a head in a 1:50.2 personal best.

Unrivaled Hanover finished second and Stonebridge Thrill was elevated from fourth to third when D A Mcdreamy was ruled to have been inside two consecutive pylons.

“He’s kept improving and he’s a horse that never gives up. I think maybe he missed a cheque once all year and he’s always right there and he always fights right to the wire,” said Carlisle, ON resident Waxman. “He’s been a nice horse, kind of a borderline Grassroots or Gold type, and Gregg (McNair) was smart, I probably would have pushed in the other direction and been chasing, but Gregg and Chris (Matthews) kind of said, ‘Let’s get him some confidence and drop down here.’ And it obviously worked out well.”

Guelph, ON resident Gregg McNair trains Enforcer and his second in command Chris Matthews, also of Guelph, offered some guidance to driver Christoforou before the race.

“He’s a bit of a lazy guy and Chris Matthews, the assistant trainer, told me, he said, ‘If you think he’s done, he’s not. He’ll give you a little more if you keep pushing.’ So, we kept pushing and he got there,” said Christoforou, who was making his second appearance of the night in the Grassroots Championship winner’s circle.

The Campbellville resident also captured the three-year-old trotting filly final with Pretty Special.

Saturday’s win was the second of the season for Enforcer, with the first coming in the Grassroots season opener on July 14 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

After battling the top-level colts through July and August, adding a second and two thirds to his record, he returned to the Grassroots level for the Sept. 7 leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished second, good enough for tenth spot in the point standings and a berth in last week’s Semi-Final, where he finished fourth behind T H Mcmurry.

Saturday’s win boosted the colt’s record to two wins, three seconds and two thirds for earnings of $94,410.

Enforcer paid $37.30 for the win.