A “Dream” come true in $60,000 Grassroots Final

MILTON, October 1, 2022 – Nothingbutadreamer (Muscle Mass-Myimpossibledream) made a return to the harness racing winner’s circle on Saturday night (Oct. 1) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, fending off a determined foe to take top prize in the $60,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

The bay colt came into his latest engagement having gone winless in his past four starts.

On this evening, the colt, trained by Harry Poulton for The Stable.ca’s Nothinbutadreamr group, was picture perfect.

All Star Yankee crossed over from post nine to make the front into the first turn and led by a length after an opening panel carved out in :27.3, as Rough Tuff Tested followed in second with Nothingbutadreamer in third.

There was plenty of action in the backstretch as Rough Tuff Tested, with Doug McNair driving, wrested the lead away from All Star Yankee, only to have Nothingbutadreamer quickly overtake him for top spot, then hold a 1 ½-length advantage through a half in :56.4.

What was shaping up to be a two-horse race quickly became a reality after three-quarters in 1:26.1, as Nothingbutadreamer, to the inside, and Rough Tuff Tested slugged it out down the lane, before the former took control, en route to a one-length score in a time of 1:55.2.

A game Rough Tuff Tested was well ahead of Take On Me for the runner-up spot. Busting With Pride was fourth.

“He was trotting good tonight. Doug’s [horse] sounded really live on my back, and when he was shouting in the turn, I was worried,” said winning driver James MacDonald, whose brother Anthony heads the fractional ownership group TheStable.ca “But ‘Dreamer’ gives you everything he’s got, and he wants to win. That’s a big component of being a good horse and he’s turned into a really nice horse.”

After a fifth to start his career on June 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Nothingbutadreamer broke stride in his next dash.

The third time, however, was the charm as the bay colt, bred by Shmuel Farhi, recorded his first victory, an authoritative 4 ¾-length triumph in 1:58.2 Grassroots leg at the Milton oval on July 19.

With the win tonight, Nothingbutadreamer has fashioned a 4-1-1 mark from 10 starts, accompanied by over $80,000 in purse earnings.

“It’s great to see a big crowd in the winner’s circle for ‘Dreamer’ there, and that’s hats off to my brother Anthony and TheStable for the crowd they bring every night,” said MacDonald.

Nothingbutadreamer paid $8 to win.

To read about all of the 2022 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Finals and view the replays, click here.

For complete race results, click here.