Over $114,000 will be up for grabs in stakes action at Kawartha Downs on Saturday (August 15), as Ontario’s top three-year-old trotting colts will arrive at the Fraserville oval for the third leg of their Grassroots campaign.

Local colt Awesomedabra heads into the event with a flawless record of two wins in the first two legs for a share of top spot in the divisional point standings. In his most recent start, the Kadabra gelding finished second in the August 1 Dream of Glory final at Hanover Raceway, drawing in off the also eligible list after two horses were forced to withdraw from the final due to sickness, something owner-trainer Gary Lance was dealing with before the elimination.

“He was sick the week before and he just wasn’t himself,” said Lance, a resident of Port Perry, Ont. “Luckily, he drew in. He was the second also eligible and he drew in, you don’t see that happen very often, and he raced [well]. Chris has done a great job with him.”

Awesomedabra will be without regular pilot Chris Christoforou, who is currently sidelined with injuries suffered at the beginning of the month, but top Kawartha Downs reinsman Nick Boyd will step in to steer the gelding from Post 4 in the fourth Grassroots division. The pair will face a stiff test, as they will start in between last year’s Grassroots champion and current Gold Series regular Lovedbythemasses, who is trained and co-owned by Peterborough resident Ed Peconi, at Post 3, and Dream of Glory champion and division co-leader Remember Titans at Post 5.

“We kind of drew in a little tough on Saturday, but you never know. That’s why they give the money out after the race,” said Lance, with a chuckle. “Hopefully we’ll have some luck.”

So long as Awesomedabra emerges happy and healthy from Saturday’s start he will embark on a new adventure next week. The gelding was bred and raised in Kentucky, and, as a result, he is also eligible to that state’s sires stakes program.

“I’m going to send him down to Anette Lorentzon. There’s only 46 colts eligible and I’ve be been keeping track of them all spring and summer, so I think he’ll be competitive. He’ll go down there probably Monday or Tuesday and then he’s got three races, and hopefully he’ll make the final, and then he’ll be back here for the (Grassroots) semi-final (on October 2),” explained Lance. “I just wanted to do it for the experience. I go to the sale all the time and watch the races during the Grand Circuit and I would have just loved to go down there and race one, but unfortunately with this COVID it’s not worth taking the chance.”

Before heading south, Awesomedabra will look to pad his Grassroots point total in Saturday’s fifth race. The other Grassroots divisions have been slated as Race 1, 2, 4, and 6 on the program, which also features a single $7,200 Prospect Series division for Ontario-sired two-year-old trotting fillies in Race 8. Post time for the stakes-laden program is at 4 p.m.

With on-track attendance limited to 100, fans can download a program and catch all the stakes action via the live stream on the Kawartha Downs website.

In addition to Saturday’s stakes action, Kawartha Downs also has three more Prospect Series legs on its 2020 calendar. The two-year-old trotting colts and three-year-old pacing fillies will battle in their fourth leg on Saturday, August 22 and the two-year-old pacing fillies will square off in leg four on Saturday, September 5.

To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at KD, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Kawartha Downs.

(Ontario Sires Stakes)