Arm N Hammer held off rivals on both sides to set a track record for two-year-old male trotters at Grand River Raceway in the fourth leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series on Friday, Sept. 4.

Driven by Bob McClure for trainer Paul Reid in the evening's $30,000 opener, Arm N Hammer claimed his second Grassroots victory in a career-best 1:56.1 mile, shaving two-fifths of a second off the divisional track record that was co-held by You Got It Kemp (2024), Pierre In Paris (2024) and The Green Gazoo (2025). It was also a Canadian record for a two-year-old trotting gelding on a five-eighths-mile track.

Leaving from the inside post, even-money favourite Arm N Hammer assumed command at the start with The Great Gazoo inheriting the pocket position from a first-turn breaker. Arm N Hammer pounded out fractions of :27.1, :57 and 1:26.4 before prevailing by a neck between The Great Gazoo (Mark MacDonald), who shot up the passing lane, and first-over pursuer Spiritual Guidance (Jason Ryan).

Also a winner in the Aug. 15 leg of the Grassroots Series at Georgian Downs, Arm N Hammer improved to two-for-eight in his career and now has $44,100 in earnings. The Muscle Mass-Ava Marion gelding, purchased for $30,556 from last fall's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, is owned by Patrick Dillon and Patti Hoskin of Port Hope, Ont.

The other split also ended in a close call as division leader and 2-5 favourite Da Trixter held off the second-ranked Graceful King (Mark MacDonald) in the passing lane by a neck in a 1:57 mile for his fourth Grassroots victory, with an overland King Of The South (Brett MacDonald) less than a length back in third. 

Campaigned by the father and son, training and driving team of Bob and Scott Young, the Trixton-Da Miracle gelding is now four-for-five competing solely in the Grassroots Series with $54,000 in earnings. Bob Young shares ownership of the $16,000 London Classic Yearling Sale acquisition with partners Lindsey Turner of Georgetown, Ont., Glengate Farms of Erin, Ont., and Haskell Pickup of Guelph, Ont. 

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)