Division point leader Pembrook Street and his two-year-old trotting colt peers roll into Hanover Raceway on Saturday night to battle for a total of $120,000 in six Grassroots divisions.

Through the first half of the six event season, Pembrook Street recorded one win and two seconds for a total of 100 points, and trainer George Henry says the gelding has been a model student from the beginning.

"He always trained good. He was always a couple seconds better than the other ones," says the Arthur resident, who trains Pembrook Street for Michael Wassilyn of Toronto. "You can leave, or take him off, or do anything you want with him, he's perfect that way."

In spite of the trotter's positive attitude and early results, Henry is not sure what to expect on Saturday. After winning his Grassroots division at Dresden Raceway on Aug. 10, Pembrook Street fell victim to the virus that has been circulating through Ontario's harness racing community. The horseman says the gelding seems to have bounced back well, but he missed several weeks of training and racing opportunities.

"We've just got him healthy now, so I don't know if he'll be tight enough for Hanover, but we'll see anyway," says Henry. "I had planned on racing him in an overnight right after Dresden, but then he got sick and it kind of put the kibosh on that."

Depending on how Pembrook Street handles Saturday's test and the Sept. 27 Grassroots event at Hiawatha Horse Park, Henry is considering taking a run at the Gold Series colts in November. Pembrook Street finished second by a length to Hibbler at Clinton Raceway in late July before that colt moved up to the Gold Series and swept his elimination and the Aug. 25 final at Mohawk Racetrack.

Walkerton resident Dale Fritz has driven Pembrook Street in all of his starts and will send the gelding after another deposit of Grassroots points from Post 2 in Saturday's sixth race. The son of Duke Of York and Shipps Cruise will face five veterans of the provincial campaign, and two newcomers to the program in the $20,000 skirmish. Only Stormont Caviar, who will start from Post 3, is also currently ranked among the top 16 point earners with one second and one third to his credit through three Grassroots starts.

The two-year-old trotting colts are the final group of Ontario Sires Stakes competitors that will grace the Hanover Raceway oval this season, attempting to wrap things up with a sizzle in Races 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. First race post time at the half-mile oval this Saturday, Sept. 6 is 7:25 p.m.

To view Saturday's entries, click here.

(OSS)