A conversation on social media last fall led Paul Van Camp to purchase shares in a pair of trotting colts, and the exchange has proven fruitful as Feel The Force and Stonebridge Zeus will arrive at Kawartha Downs this Saturday, Aug. 7 ranked third and fourth in the Ontario Sires Stakes' two-year-old trotting colt Grassroots standings.

“I had never had horses with Blake (MacIntosh) before, I’ve known him for years, but he made a comment about Resolve colts on the internet,” recalled the Port Perry, Ont. resident. “I have a big like for the Resolve colts, and he found two in Lexington and I bought parts of them, pretty simple. I thought he’d be a good sire.”

Trainer Blake MacIntosh had the Resolve sons ready for the July 15 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park and Feel The Force was up to the task, delivering a 2:00.2 victory. Stonebridge Zeus was not as fortunate and finished eighth in his division. The pair was back in Grassroots action last Saturday, July 31 at Hiawatha Horse Park and this time it was Stonebridge Zeus who came up with a winning effort, touring the Sarnia oval in 2:02, while Feel The Force made a break in stride and finished seventh.

“I drove to Sarnia, which is a long way away, because I figured Feel The Force would win for sure. Stonebridge Zeus had had a couple of problematic starts, although he was really good all winter, so I was expecting 'Zeus' not so much. And Feel The Force just had a bad hair day, so to speak,” said Van Camp. “So it made the 700 kilometre round trip worthwhile, however not quite what I expected.

“Trevor Henry had an amazing steer to get him (Stonebridge Zeus) out in Sarnia,” Van Camp added. “I thought we were locked at the rail for about sixth, but Trevor did a marvelous job.”

The trotters will be looking for their second Grassroots win at Kawartha Downs on Saturday, with Feel The Force lining up at Post 4 in the first $21,800 division and Stonebridge Zeus getting Post 7 in the second split. Driver Trevor Henry will handle the lines on both colts.

Van Camp will be on hand to cheer the pair home and hopes his parents, Glenn and Donna Van Camp, will be able to join him trackside at their local oval.

“I hopefully can get my parents to go over,” said Van Camp. “They’re 87 and 86 and haven’t been out of the house for a year and a half, so hopefully I can get them to go.”

Van Camp Trotting Corp. shares ownership of Feel The Force with St. George resident MacIntosh and Steve Heimbecker of Waterloo, Ont. His co-owners on Stonebridge Zeus are MacIntosh and Mortgage Boys Stable of Fayetteville, New York. The colts were $22,000 and $20,000 purchases, respectively, at last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

The two-year-old trotting colts will be featured in four $21,000 Grassroots divisions, slated as Races 3, 4, 8 and 9, and one $7,200 Prospect Series division, which goes postward as Race 5 on Kawartha Downs’ Saturday afternoon program. The action gets under way at 4 p.m.

The Fraserville oval is fully booked for in-person attendance to Saturday’s Ontario Sires Stakes event, but fans can download a program and watch the live stream on the Kawartha Downs website and place wagers via HPIBet.

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Kawartha Downs.

(OSS)