Grassroots contenders battle in $75,000 championships

Woodbine Mohawk Park held the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Finals on Saturday night (Sep. 28) with eight $75,000 championship harness racing events.

Below are recaps and replays of each final.

After rallying off cover to a 13-1 upset in her final Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots preliminary event at Grand River Raceway 12 days ago, Tellers Choice (The Bank-Tosca) took the short route to victory in the final for two-year-old trotting fillies.

Tellers Choice floated forward at the race’s outset and settled in fourth through a :27.1 opening quarter before driver Louis-Philippe Roy angled her out to take aim at early pace-setter Ibelieveinangels (Green Manalishi S) up the backstretch. After clearing the lead at the completion of a :57.3 first half, Tellers Choice kept the tempo backed down while uncontested through a :30 third sectional.

After straightening up for home, Tellers Choice powered clear of her nine rivals in the final eighth and won by the better part of five lengths in a lifetime best 1:56.1. Ibelieveinangels, driven by Travis Cullen, finished an isolated second; Rich Girl (Tyler Borth) narrowly held third over Wings Of Green (Trevor Henry) after enjoying a three-hole ride.

“I felt like every time she moved to a different track, she wasn’t trotting as well,” said Roy, referring to breaks Tellers Choice made at Hiawatha and Hanover in earlier stakes engagements. “When she comes here, she’s a different filly. She’s easy to drive here. I did pretty much what I wanted with her.

“On the first turn, I thought I was going to lose her, but the more the mile went, the more comfortable she was. She showed again that when everything is alright with her, she’s a good Grassroots filly.”

TELLERS CHOICE REPLAY

Luc Blais trains Tellers Choice, who has now won three of nine career starts and banked $59,950 for Determination.

Sent off the 3-5 favourite, Tellers Choice paid $3.30 to win.

by James Witherite, for Ontario Racing

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Pick Me Up Hanover (Bettors Delight-Plaudit Hanover) put in a purposeful performance in the final for two-year-old pacing fillies.

The bay filly arrived at her championship tilt off a fourth, albeit less than two lengths behind the winner, in her previous start on Sept. 17.

On this night, Pick Me Up Hanover picked up the pace and put forth a top-shelf effort.

Saddlebags (Control The Moment) crossed over from Post 9 to make the front into the first turn, while Odds On Fiat Money (Bettors Delight), who suffered broken equipment just before the start, moved into second, followed by Dee (Bettors Delight), Tricky Wicky (McWicked) and Pick Me Up Hanover.

After an opening panel in :26.4 carved out by Saddlebags, there was action galore ahead of the half as Dee rocketed to the front, only to be overtaken by Tricky Wicky. James MacDonald, driving Pick Me Up Hanover for the first time, then took over the proceedings just ahead of a half in :56.3.

Still on top through three-quarters in 1:24.4, Pick Me Up Hanover braced for the challenges to come, including a hard-charging Stellrmanipulation (Control The Moment), who announced her arrival in the early stretch.

The pair continued to battle down the lane as Pick Me Up Hanover, who temporarily lost the lead, came back on to record a 1-1/4-length triumph in a time of 1:53.3.

“I just tried to get away as good as I could,” said MacDonald of his rail post. “I had to push out a little bit and see if I could land a good spot. The way the race unfolded, it just worked out. I didn’t think front end was going to be the way to go, but sometimes you’ve got to call an audible behind the gate or in the first turn and that’s just how it worked tonight.”

PICK ME UP HANOVER REPLAY

Trained by Jeff Byron for owners David Byron and Craig Wallwin, Pick Me Up Hanover is now 6-0-0 from eight starts.

“She looks like a gutsy little filly,” praised MacDonald. “It’s that time of the year – the money is down, and you’ve got to put them in play. Tonight, I drove her hard, but she responded well and hung in tough.”

Purchased for the modest sum of $3,000 (Hip No. 278) at the 2023 Harrisburg Yearling Sale, the Hanover Shoe Farms-bred miss now has over $75,000 in purse earnings for her connections.

Sent off as the 6-5 choice, Pick Me Up Hanover, who made her first three starts at Tioga Downs, paid $4.50 for her Grassroots win.

by Chris Lomon, for Ontario Racing

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Wendell Blue Chip (Green Manalishi S-Aurova Hanover) and driver Doug McNair weaved a great second-over trip to win the two-year-old colt and gelding pace final.

The time for the mile was a lifetime-best 1:57.3. The track condition was degraded to “good” just before the 10 youngsters took to trotting.

First Class Rule (Muscle Mass) left the gate fastest as favorite Pierre In Paris (Archangel) and longshot Mr Pasadena (Green Manalishi S) hurried for second and third positions, respectively. Cousin Halifax (Trixton) broke stride in that first turn and was eliminated. The field lined up for a first quarter in :27.4.

On top, First Class Rule gave foes a 31-second breather as he rolled easily to a :58.4 half, where The Bear A Cuda (Green Manalishi S) galloped out of contention.

Speeding first over to challenge came 32-1 shot Alimony Mike (Royalty For Life) while Pierre In Paris took valuable cover behind the longshot and McNair’s Wendell Blue Chip sat in the second tier.

McNair said after the race, “I wasn’t in a big hurry to move [to the front].”

His patience was a plus as the field hit three-quarters in 1:29.

Into the stretch, the field widened and McNair had the most trot available to beat Pierre In Paris by almost a length. Alimony Mike picked up the show money and outsider Hay Dad (Muscle Mass) took the fourth spot.

WENDELL BLUE CHIP REPLAY

Wendell Blue Chip raised his first-season earnings to $112,500 with the win.

Jared Bako trains the gelding owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock and Daniel Zuker.

“I had no game plan,” McNair said. “Last week he was not the best but here I got him in a good spot.”

Regarding recent breaks in the freshman season McNair added: “He’s getting better as the year goes on.”

Wendell Blue Chip paid $9.90 to win.

by Frank Cotolo, for Ontario Racing

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Crack Shot (Bettors Delight) was the popular victor of the finalfor freshman pacing colts with an impressive clocking of 1:52.1.

Leaving the gate, the colt and driver Doug McNair settled into fourth heading into the first turn, but by the half-mile marker had advanced to overtake early leader Blue Bar (All Bets Off). With eventual runner-up Sauble Wilson (Betterthancheddar) and Blue Bar advancing on either side, Crack Shot powered home in :27 to capture his fourth rookie win. The race favourite returned $5.30 to backers.

“I didn’t know how he was going to race,” said McNair. “I thought Trevor [Henry] (Sauble Wilson) had the best horse in there other than ours, but we had a better position on them early and when I heard them coming in the first turn, I figured I had to give him a shot on the front and it worked out.”

CRACK SHOT REPLAY

Purchased as a yearling for $205,000 at the Lexington Select Sale by trainer Gregg McNair and co-owners Frank Brundle, Dale Hunter and George Kerr, Crack Shot won his first two early-summer starts in the OSS Grassroots Series but struggled in his next pair of efforts.

Trainer McNair cited a change of scenery and diligent veterinary care in Lexington as the reason for his turn-around, as illustrated by a solid qualifying start over The Red Mile and a winning return a week later (his most recent start) at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a career best of 1:52.

“He raced so great last week,” said co-owner Brundle of that return. “And to see him race great again tonight in this mud – we’re just so happy with him.”

“It’s fantastic, I love it,” a jubilant Brundle added, speaking about the Ontario Sires Stakes program. “I just love this business, it’s amazing.”

Referring to the new opportunity for Grassroots champions to enter their divisional Super Final if the field doesn’t fill with the Gold Series top point-earners, McNair said Crack Shot could be in the field on Oct. 12.

“He’s a cocky little bugger, if you watch him strut around out there,” said McNair. “But other than that, he’s a versatile colt. He can race from the lead or race from off the pace, so we’re looking forward to racing him in the Super Final.”

by Kelly Spencer, for Ontario Racing

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Love Those Legs (Kadabra-Legzy) had a nightmare trip, but still managed to get a dream result in the $75,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Final for Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies, Saturday night at Mohawk.

After enduring traffic trouble into the first turn and a less-than-ideal journey along the backstretch, it would have been understandable if Love Those Legs and driver Louis-Philippe Roy threw in the towel.

Instead, they found a way to get the job done against the odds and with plenty of determination.

Mass Cara (Muscle Mass) marched to the front early with Flirty Dancer (Lookslikeachpndale), Her Currency (The Bank) and Mass Money (Muscle Mass) sitting second, third and fourth, respectively. Love Those Legs, from Post 8, got tangled up in a traffic near the back of the pack, a scenario that forced Roy to make a split-second decision as to his next move.

After Mass Cara took the field through an opening quarter in :27.3, Roy decided to set his sights on the lead and did so, going from ninth to first a few strides before the half in :58.2. Mass Cara was second, Flirty Dancer third and mutuel choice Valentine Bluechip (Muscle Mass), who also had a rough early go, sat fourth.

Love Those Legs had a leg-up on Valentine Bluechip after three-quarters in 1:27.1, but with a quarter mile to go, needed to find another gear to hold on.

After Valentine Bluechip, who came into the final on a two-race win streak, began to drift out, Love Those Legs remained resolute and held off Flirty Dancer by 1-3/4 lengths for the game victory. Valentine Bluechip was third and Mass Cara finished fourth.

The final time was 1:55.3.

LOVE THOSE LEGS REPLAY

Roy lauded the grit and gumption of the Luc Blais trainee.

“My filly, she is not a fan of the front. She is a little better chasing. That was what I was trying first. I’m pretty sure that Dougie’s [driver, McNair] filly is the same, so he was trying to trip her too. Going into the first turn, I was in trouble, but I knew he was in trouble, too.

“Luc had her impressively good tonight. I know she has been showing better and better every week, but I wasn’t expecting that huge of an effort.”

An effort that had Roy beaming.

“She just kind of got on the bit better and better. She felt really good when she opened up a little bit in the stretch. I didn’t pull the plugs – she felt really strong still at the wire. It was just impressive how she raced tonight.”

After going winless in seven starts in 2023, the filly, owned by Determination, is 4-3-0 from 14 starts this year, and 4-4-1 from 21 lifetime engagements.

Saturday night’s win, the biggest of her career, pushed her career earnings into six-figure territory.

She paid $17.30 for the signature score.

Bred by Windsong Stable, Love Those Legs was a $110,000 purchase (Hip No. 78) at the 2022 Harrisburg Yearling Sale.

by Chris Lomon, for Ontario Racing

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Collusion Hanover (Bettors Delight-Covfefe) soared around the oval from beginning to end in a rousing victory of the three-year-old filly pace final.

The time for the mile was 1:50.1 on the good-rated track.

From the moment she left the gate, Collusion Hanover, the overwhelming 1-9 public choice, was in total control of the other nine fillies. Driver Louis-Phillippe Roy steered her with ease around the first turn and floated around the first turn. The duo produced a fiery :26 first quarter. The public’s second choice, How Much (All Bets Off), took third with Pasta Delight (Bettors Delight) in second.

In full flight heading for the :54.3 half, Doug McNair urged his charge, How Much, to take on Collusion Hanover. McNair pulled the pocket to create a duel between the two public choices.

They rumbled along in tandem, a duo noses apart with a score of lengths between Pasta Delight, who led the rest of the field, including Ann (Hes Watching), who broke off the gate and galloped out of contention.

The dueling pair scorched three quarters in 1:21.4. That was too much for How Much as Pasta Delight stepped lively late to earn best-of-the-rest finisher to Collusion Hanover’s four-length win. How Much held on for third.

“We were going good fractions,” said Roy, who was not surprised with the result. “It was a two-filly race and I was confident from the start and in the duel. She made my job look easy.”

COLLUSION HANOVER REPLAY

Luc Blais trains Collusion Hanover and Roy said the trainer’s horses “were getting better” as the season ensued.

Collusion Hanover has now earned $172,469 after this Grassroots final, which was her fifth win of the season and seventh in her career.

Determination owns the filly, who will likely come back in the OSS Super Final.

by Frank Cotolo, for Ontario Racing

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It may have taken him a while to put it all together, but Grambling Hall (Muscle Mass) did so with gusto when it mattered most.

Unraced at two, the now-sophomore trotting colt forced his eight more experienced rivals to follow along Saturday night with a dominant win in his Grassroots final.

Taking command of the field at the three-eighths, Grambling Hall trotted to his third career win in a new best of 1:54.1 with Louis-Phillippe Roy – his fourth Ontario Sires Stakes victory on the card Saturday. Jack N Abs (Muscle Mass) was the runner-up by a length with Nzuri (Muscle Mass) rounding out the top three.

Grambling Hall paid $8.30 for the win.

GRAMBLING HALL REPLAY

Trainer Chantal Mitchell co-owns the colt with the estate of prominent breeder Alan Leavitt, who passed away earlier this year.

“Grambling Hall is a very young horse. He was born June 29 (2021),” said Mitchell. “He was small last year and he had no focus at all. I was fortunate that Mr. Leavitt allowed me to be patient with him. I told him we just have to wait on him. He has a nice gait, he has a nice way of going but he’s just not focused at all. And even coming back this spring, he wouldn’t focus until July and then he figured out, ‘OK I can do this.’ And so here we are.

“It’s unfortunate that Mr. Leavitt is not here to see this win because he was very patient and very passionate about this horse. He told me to do whatever you want to do, just take your time. So, it’s bittersweet to win, because I wish he could have seen him here, tonight. He never did get to see him race or qualify but I know he would have made him proud because he always had faith in him.”

by Kelly Spencer, for Ontario Racing

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After coming up just short of The Vicar (Artspeak) in the regular-season finale, Pollack Racing LLC’s Century Komodo (Bettors Delight-Michelons Filly) stood his ground for a career-best 1:50 win in the final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Doug McNair left with Century Komodo from the middle of the gate, but the pair were looped by Do Better (Bettors Delight) and a parked McPleasant (McWicked) on the sprint to the first turn, ultimately settling into fourth through a :26.4 as 44-1 longshot Lakers Bank controlled the early terms.

Just as McPleasant strode clear to the lead upon reaching the backstretch, McNair gave Century Komodo the green light, and he brushed to the fore at the :55.2 midway stage, only for his rival to be in hot pursuit.

Entering the far turn, Century Komodo faced immediate pressure from The Vicar and driver Louis-Philippe Roy, who dueled to a half-length lead at the 1:22.1 three-quarters sectional. Undeterred, Century Komodo dug in turning for home, reclaimed the lead at the eighth pole, and won by a driven three-quarters of a length.

The Vicar finished second as the even-money choice, Chalk Hanover (Bettors Delight) was a one-paced third after sitting second-over behind the dueling favourites.

CENTURY KOMODO REPLAY

“That one of Louis’ has been racing great,” said McNair. “I thought I had him last week [in their Sept. 16 Grassroots preliminary at Woodbine]. I just didn’t have enough room to get up the inside. I thought last start was his best race in probably five or six starts. I was hoping it would carry into tonight, and it did.”

Century Komodo, a gelding whom Anthony Beaton trains, has won six of 14 races this season and banked $118,720 in his career.

He paid $5.40 to win as the 8-5 second choice.

by James Witherite, for Ontario Racing

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For complete race results, click here.

From Ontario Racing