MacDonald triples in Grassroots action

Harness racing driver James MacDonald, coming off a five-win night, steered three freshman trotters to victory in the fourth leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots on Tuesday (Aug. 9) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Resolve To Win (Resolve) bounced back from a break last week to take the first division in a triple-move 1:58 mile. Lava Field (Eddie Green) hounded the leader through the final quarter and was three-quarters of a length back in second. Rough Tuff Tested (Trevor Henry) finished third.

RESOLVE TO WIN REPLAY

John Bax trains Resolve To Win, who has now won twice in four starts and has earned $25,264. Bax Stable of Campbellville, Brad Grant of Milton, Gaelic Stable of Sharon, and Don Allensen of Wyoming bought the colt for $53,000 at the Lexington Select sale.

MacDonald struck next in the third division with Darbyshire (Muscle Mass), who raced second-over and exploded late in the lane to pass Floyd The Freak (Jonathan Drury) and score in 1:58.2. Beacon Beach (Louis-Philippe Roy) took show.

DARBYSHIRE REPLAY

Darbyshire has won all races in which he has remained trotting; a break last time out soils an otherwise-perfect record of three wins in three flat miles. Bax also trains this colt, who has now earned $33,500. Breeder Glengate Farms of Erin co-owns Darbyshire with Bax Stable, Goin To The Show Stable of Peterborough, and Happy Trails Stables of London.

Nothingbutadreamer (Muscle Mass) rewarded the public that made him 1/5 with a comfortable coast-to-coast romp in the fourth split. He crossed the line in 1:57.3, two-and-three-quarter-lengths clear of Take On Me (Roy) and another half ahead of Watch A Pro (Matthew Bax) in third.

NOTHINGBUTADREAMER REPLAY

It was Nothingbutadreamer’s third consecutive win – a streak consisting of divisions of Grassroots legs two through four. The $21,000 Lexington Selected sale purchase finished fifth in a conditioned event on debut and broke in a Gold contest in his second try. Harry Poulton conditions the colt for The Stable’s Nothinbutadremr ownership group.

Henry took the second division with Busting With Pride (Resolve). He drove on from last after a tentative beginning to take the lead before the midway point and went on to win by four-and-a-half lengths in a new mark of 1:58.1. Mr Experience (Sylvain Filion) finished second. First Digit (Bob McClure) edged out Im Above Average (Aaron Byron) for the show cheque.

BUSTING WITH PRIDE REPLAY

Busting With Pride is a homebred for Robert McIntosh Stables of Windsor and Dave Boyle of Bowmanville. Robert McIntosh has trained the gelding to two straight scores after failing to find the winner’s circle in his first pair of starts.

MacDonald also won with Resolving (Resolve, 1:56.1) to complete his grand slam on the day in a dash for three-year-old trotting fillies who have started in the Grassroots.

The next card at Woodbine Mohawk Park features two $102,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions of the third leg for rookie trotting fillies. Five groups of two-year-old pacing fillies will also go to post in the Grassroots, with the first kicking off the card at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

For complete OSS standings, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink