Three-year-old pacers hit best stride in $60,000 Grassroots Finals

MILTON, October 1, 2022 – The pair of $60,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championships for three-year-old pacers were thrilling affairs, with Chucky Hanover (Hes Watching) and Fade Out (Sportswriter) emerging victorious in matching times of 1:50.3, a new lifetime mark for both.

Chucky Hanover won the boys finale in the ninth race of the evening, and his victory didn’t come easy.

Paul Macdonell trains and drives the gelding and leaving from post nine found himself in a three-way battle for the early lead with Kobra Kai and Stop The Shootin.

“We took a long park to get to the front,” said Macdonell. “Once he got to front, he was fairly brave with the horse beside him, and I let him do his own thing from there and he was good.”

After sitting an outside second through a 26.3 first panel, Chucky Hanover led the field through a 55.3 half.

He held a two-length advantage as they spun for home and he powered down the stretch fending off a hard charging 74-1 Coligny Hanover who came up the inside under urging from Sylvian Filion for second, and odds-on favourite Dreamfair Arnie B who was in traffic throughout before flying home three wide for third.

“We were able to get a little bit of a breather, 55 and change half,” said Macdonell. “You know he’s always pacing strong to the wire which helps. When he got halfway down the lane, I knew he’d be pretty tough to get by.”

Chucky Hanover has made $141,682 in his sophomore campaign for owners Glb Stable of Lakeview, N.S. He paid $16.70 for the win.

The female Grassroots Championship went in race six and Fade Out was sent off as the 3-2 favourite leaving from post six.

Doug McNair was behind the filly trained by his dad Gregg.

After sitting back from a 25.4 opening quarter set by Scott Young and Quebecoise and Austin Sorrie and Girl Scout Cookie, McNair sent his charge past both as the field entered the backstretch and made the lead.

“Austin and Scottie went out of there and took a shot,” said McNair “I figured one of them or two of them would be waiting on me, and they were, and it kind of worked out.”

Fade Out led field through second and third panels in 54.2, and 1:22.2 and McNair’s filly was game in the lane as she held off a stretch drive from Semi-Final winner Raptors Won.

“You can’t drive her like that every week,” said McNair “She’d get tired on you sometimes, but it worked out tonight.

McNair and his dad have teamed up for plenty of OSS wins this season and will be looking to repeat their success in two weeks at the October 15 Super Final back at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

It’s always fun to win this race, or any race, but working for my dad it’s even more special,” said McNair. He’s a lot less hard on me the next day.”

Fade Out is owned by Gregg McNair (Guelph, Ont.), Dean Lockhart (Collingwood, Ont.) and McKinlay & Fielding (Toronto, Ont.). She has made $101,711 this year.

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

For complete race results, click here.

From the Ontario Sires Stakes