All 64 of the three-year-olds competing in eight Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Semifinals at Western Fair Raceway on Saturday night have the same objective — to earn a berth in next weekend’s Championship — but if

Texas Seelster falls short of his goal Bob and Barbara Parker will still be smiling all the way home to Dorchester.

“He’s done a lot more than we ever thought he would,” said Bob Parker. “I didn’t ever think I’d win a race at Mohawk, and I didn’t ever think I’d have a horse win a Grassroots, and he’s done both, so everything from now on is a bonus.”

Three-year-old pacing gelding Texas Seelster will make his bid for a top four finish from Post 5 in Saturday’s 11th race, and when Parker sized up the competition he found two of the division’s top three point earners lined up inside Texas Seelster and the other to his immediate right.

“He’s in pretty tough I think,” said the longtime owner. “Hopefully he does okay.”

Division point leader This Is Wyatt will start on Texas Seelster’s right from Post 6, number two colt Modern Era gets Post 3, and third-ranked Wellthereyougo will benefit from Post 2 in the $30,000 Grassroots skirmish. The top four colts under the wire will earn a berth in the Oct. 23 Grassroots Championship, worth a cool $100,000.

Texas Seelster learned all his early lessons from Parker and trainer Scott Barr over the track at the Dorchester Fairgrounds, but the gelding has never raced at Western Fair. Unraced at two, the son of Western Maverick and That Day did not make his career debut until July 4, pacing to a 1:56.3 victory over Flamboro Downs. Since then the gelding has made nine more starts, posted three more wins, two seconds and one third for earnings of $42,055.

The youngster joined the Grassroots program in time for the third event of the season, at Hiawatha Horse Park on July 29, and finished third. A win at Grand River Raceway on Aug. 23, a seventh at Sudbury Downs on Sept. 15 and a fifth in the regular season finale at Flamboro Downs on Oct. 9 gave the gelding a total of 67 points, just above the cut off for a Semifinal berth.

Mike Saftic and Scott Zeron split the driving duties on Texas Seelster this summer, and Zeron will be in the race bike for Saturday’s Semifinal.

“Mike Saftic did a great job with him at Mohawk, and Scott Zeron did a great job at the B tracks,” said Parker. “He’s never raced in London, so I don’t know what he’ll be like. He’s never seen London, but he’s pretty sensible.”

The Parker’s friends and neighbours have been enthusiastic supporters of Texas Seelster’s Grassroots career, gathering in the couple’s kitchen to watch the pacer’s televised races.

“I’ve had people, when he’s racing, at our house here in Dorchester,” said Barbara Parker. “They go up there and cheer him on because we have the racing network.
“He’s in a little tough I think. He’s in with some very good horses,” she added, echoing her husband. “But hopefully he does okay. You always hope for the best. And we’re having fun, we cheer him on, and that’s the main thing.”

Parkhill, Ont. resident Dan McCann may be hoarse from cheering by Saturday night. The owner will be cheering home his two starters in the two-year-old trotting colt Semifinals on Friday, and then trying to recover enough voice to encourage three-year-old pacing filly MC Taylor on Saturday.

“We’re kind of proud of her. She’s named after my niece Taylor, and MC is for McCann,” he explains. “She is the first one that we’ve raised.”

McCann bred and owns the daughter of Camluck and Debutante Willvan with Dale Regier, who also makes his home in Parkhill. Through 22 starts this season the filly has tallied eight wins, two seconds and four thirds for earnings of $106,740. In Grassroots action she earned two wins and one fifth in three appearances, good for 105 points and eleventh spot in the division standings.

Randy Fritz conditions MC Taylor, who tried her hand against the province’s Gold Series fillies in the May 21 season opener at Western Fair, finishing fourth in her Gold elimination. The filly also logged a third-place result in an elimination for the Canadian Breeders Championship at Mohawk Racetrack in July and a fifth in the $169,339 final.

“She’s just maybe a notch below the top ones, but she fits really good in the Grassroots,” said McCann. “Randy’s done a great job with her. Hopefully we can make it to the next week.”

Owner Jamie Bardoel has also been delighted with the results trainer Dave Menary has posted with Putnam Mackenzie this season, and the London resident knows whereof he speaks. Bardoel taught the filly her early lessons and handled her conditioning until mid-June of this year, when he decided to hang up his training suit.

“Dave and I are pretty good friends,” said Bardoel, who shares ownership of Putnam Mackenzie with his parent’s Putnam Training Centre Ltd. of Mossley. “He’s done good with her. Dad and I are more than pleased.”

In 21 sophomore starts the filly has accumulated eight wins, one second and three thirds for earnings of $118,151. She boasts a flawless record of three wins in three Grassroots starts, and recently posted a third-place finish in a Gold Final event at Grand River Raceway.

Robert Shepherd will steer Putnam Mackenzie from Post 3 in Saturday’s seventh race.
Western Fair Raceway sends its first race in behind the starting gate at 7:05 pm on Saturday, rolling out the red carpet for the province’s top three-year-old trotters and pacers in Races 2, 4, and 7 through 12.

To view Saturday's entries, click here.

(OSS)