Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing colts kick off their Grassroots season at Mohawk Racetrack on Canada Day, and trainer Mike Brealey is hoping Playin Time delivers an effort worthy of celebration

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The son of Camluck-Then Again competed in the Ontario Sires Stakes program last season, but failed to land a top three finish in either stakes or overnight competition. With a slightly different perspective and a whole lot of patient teaching, the gelding heads into Friday’s season opener with two wins, three seconds and two thirds under his belt from 12 sophomore starts.

“He showed talent, but he was an absolute runaway,” says Brealey of Playin Time’s freshman campaign. “He was still a stud then, and gelding him made a lot of difference.”

Once Brealey and the pacer’s owners Rodney McGrath of Burlington, Wally Gemmill of Brampton, Gord Waples of Port Severn, ON and Donald Watkins of Pugwash, NS opted to geld Playin Time last September, the youngster’s demeanour quickly improved. Although Brealey says the gelding still needed remedial lessons to learn how to sit comfortably behind other horses, he approached those lessons with a more willing attitude.

“He needed more than most colts because he was so hot,” explains the Campbellville resident. “He needed extra work to teach him to race off a helmet.”

The horseman says the other key to Playin Time’s success this season has been the addition of driver Chris Christoforou to the team in late February. The reinsman took a patient approach to Playin Time’s lessons that clearly began to pay off in the spring.

“Chris made a real difference, Chris was real patient with him,” says Brealey. “Gelding him and having Chris take his time with him helped him a lot.”

Campbellville resident Christoforou will send Playin Time after a share of the $24,000 Grassroots purse from Post 4 in the sixth race on Friday and Brealey is hoping the gelding holds his own in a field that includes former Gold Series starters Mach Of Ballykeel at Post 3 and Twin B Legend at Post 8. Playin Time heads into the race off a sixth-place finish in a June 25 overnight, his first start since winning the Ontario Spring Stakes Final on April 29.

“It kind of worked out good. It gave me time to give him a rest,” notes Brealey. “He was off for three weeks and then I jogged him lightly for a few more weeks after that.

“He was fairly hot early in the (June 25) race for Chris, he was still sharp,” adds the trainer. “Hopefully he’ll be good this week.”

A total of $168,000 is up for grabs in seven Grassroots divisions at Mohawk on Friday. The three-year-old pacing colts will wage the first Grassroots battles of the season in Races 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 13. The Campbellville oval’s first race rolls in behind the starting gate at 7:10 p.m.

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To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.