Two year old Grassroots finalists decided

Ontario's talented two-year-olds put on an impressive show at the harness racing meeting at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening as the top 20 point earners in each division were whittled down to 10 in Grassroots Semi-Final action.

Muscles For Life kicked off the Ontario Sires Stakes post season, sprinting down the stretch to a 1:57.3 personal best in the first trotting colt Semi-Final.

The Muscle Mass son and driver Doug McNair of Guelph, ON bested Money Mission and United BI by two and three-quarter lengths to secure their spot in next weekend's Grassroots Championship.

"He was a little late getting started, he made a few mistakes and then we had to put the hopples on him," said trainer Gregg McNair about Muscles For Life, who finished the regular season with one win, one second, one fourth and one eighth in four outings. "He's raced pretty good every time. He's got a lot of trot.

"He got a good trip, but he's got fairly good talent," added the Guelph resident, who trains Muscles For Life for Jarold Hawks of Jeddo, MI.

Fourth and fifth-place finishers Cool Creek Victory and Muscle Time also advanced to the Sept. 26 Grassroots Championship.

Muscles For Life

The first trotting filly Semi-Final was the first of three captured by Trevor Henry, who is in a fight for top spot in the Ontario Sires Stakes driver standings with Milton, ON resident Sylvain Filion.

Henry teamed Myretirementticket to a 1:57.1 personal best ahead of fan favourite and division point leader Magical Steph and Jangone.

Myretirementticket hit the wire one-quarter length ahead of her rivals.

"She's getting better every week," said Henry. "She does everything right, she's a sweetheart to drive."

Henry engineered the win for Eli Wagler of Ingersoll, ON who bred, owns and trains the daughter of Cornaro Dasolo and Shine Again. Very Classy and Dayliner rounded out the qualifiers for the Championship.

Myretirementticket

Arthur, ON resident Henry faces a tough choice for the Championship, as he also piloted the winner of the second trotting filly division.

Traviata cruised home a four and one-half length winner; matching Myretirementticket's 1:57.1 clocking.

The fan favourite bested Mariana, Liseberg, Malia and Tough Affair.

"She's pretty nice too, it's going to be tough to be pick," said the reinsman, who engineered the Kadabra daughter's fourth straight victory for trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman of Allentown, NJ and Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, ON.

Traviata

Henry's third win came with pacing filly St Lads Smokin Hot, who powered down the stretch to a 1:53.1 personal best.

Noone To Depend On finished one and one-quarter lengths back in second, favourite and division point leader Sports Expert was third, with Selling The Dream and Miss Print completing the top five.

Puslinch, ON resident Richard Moreau trains St Lads Smokin Hot for Holland Racing Stable of Niagara-On-The Lake, ON.

The No Pan Intended daughter finished the regular season with a pair of wins – both over half-mile ovals – two thirds and one sixth in five starts.

St Lads Smokin Hot

Gerries Sport captured the first pacing colt Semi-Final with a 1:53 personal best for trainer Robert Robinson and owner-breeder Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, QC.

The Mach Three son and driver Rick Zeron of Oakville, ON controlled the tempo for much of the race and cruised home three and one-quarter length winners over Print Media, Blue Zombie, Bingo Ingo, and division point leader St Lads Moonwalk.

"He's a nice little colt," said Zeron. "He had a little confusion when we first started going with him so we were pretty conservative with him and let him pace into where he wanted to be to get his form going, and as the summer went on he's gotten smarter and better."

Gerries Sport

Moffat, ON resident Jack Moiseyev piloted two Semi-Final winners, starting with pacing filly Mayhem Seelster in Race 8.

The fan favourites pressed the pace in the outer lane through much of the mile before getting up for a one-half length win in a personal best 1:53. Im In Luv, Buttermilk Hanover, pacesetter Southwind Shania and No Shadows completed the top five.

Moiseyev engineered the win for trainer Tony O'Sullivan of Cambridge, ON and owner Domenic Chiaravalle of Hamilton, ON.

The Mach Three miss was a two-time winner and one-time runner-up in three regular season Grassroots starts.

Mayhem Seelster

One race later Moiseyev was back in the winner's circle with the only division point leader to add a Semi-Final win to their resume.

Trotting colt Georgies Pockets sprinted from seventh to first through the final quarter, reaching the finish in 1:58.4, one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Dynamic Edge and Willyorwonthe.

Gonna Fly and Asterix finished fourth and fifth.

Mike Vanderkemp of Hillsburgh, ON conditions Georgies Pockets for owner-breeder M T Pockets Stables of Pompano Beach, FL.

In five regular season starts the Muscle Mass son posted an impressive record of three wins and two seconds to top the freshman trotting colt division.

Georgies Pockets

The last of the Grassroots Semi-Final trophies went home with Kokanee Seelster, who prevailed in the second pacing colt split.

The Camluck colt and driver Phil Hudon of Guelph controlled the temp from start to finish, reaching the wire one and one-half lengths ahead of Tango Star in 1:53.

Favourite King Of Sports was third, just ahead of Azul Pool and Only Half Bad.

Anthony Montini of Acton, ON trains Kokanee Seelster for Ming Siu of Richmond, BC and Edmund Lui of Parkhill, ON.

The pacer posted two wins and one second in three regular season Grassroots starts.

Kokanee Seelster

The top five finishers from each Semi-Final will now begin preparations for next Saturday's (Sept. 26) $50,000 Grassroots Championships.

They will be joined by their three-year-old peers, who will wage their Semi-Final battles at Mohawk on Friday, Sept. 18.

The sophomores are featured in Races 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 on the program, which gets under way at 7:25 pm.

Ontario Horse Racing