The high speed of Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing colts will be on display at Georgian Downs on Saturday evening as eight divisions of the gifted youngsters compete for a total of $192,000 in Grassroots action.

Coach Cal delivered a second-place result in his first two Grassroots appearances this season and trainer Corey Johnson is hoping the Camluck son can match or better that result in spite of being saddled with the outside Post 9 in the second last $24,000 division.

“With the nine-hole I am hoping to get him out of there and into the action,” says Johnson, who trains the gelding for Fred Brayford of Alliston and The Brabant Stable of London.

A recent arrival in Johnson’s barn — Ryan Maxwell conditioned the pacer through the first four months of his sophomore campaign — Coach Cal has impressed the trainer with his athletic stature and easy-going personality.

“I like him, he’s a nice gaited horse,” notes Johnson. “He’s an athletic looking horse with a nice gait to him. He has a long stride. He looks like a horse that has speed.

“He’s pretty easy on himself. He’s not the kind of horse that gets worked up. He likes his job,” adds the trainer.

Coach Cal delivered a victory in his first start under Johnson’s tutelage, capturing an overnight event at Kawartha Downs on Aug. 9 with a front end effort that saw him hit the wire in a personal best 1:54.1. That mile improved the gelding’s sophomore record to three wins, four seconds and one third in 10 starts and owner Fred Brayford is hoping Coach Cal continues to develop through the remaining weeks of the Grassroots campaign.

“He’s coming along,” says the longtime owner. “They took it easy with him because he was a bit rambunctious at the start there. He wanted to go to the front all the time, but they taught him to slip into a hole.”

Brayford and his partners, Brabant Stable principals William Loyens and Jerry Vanboekel, purchased Coach Cal in April. The pacer, who sold for $90,000 at the 2010 Harrisburg Yearling Sale, had raced just five times and earned $4,000 in his freshman campaign.

“They thought he was going to be a decent colt, but he wasn’t ready as a two-year-old so they just set him aside,” notes Brayford. “We’re kind of thinking he might be a decent four-year-old.”

With two runner-up performances Coach Cal has earned 50 points in the race toward a berth in the Grassroots post season and currently sits just below the cut off for the top 16. Boosting his total with a solid effort at Georgian Downs on Saturday and in the other two events that remain on the regular season schedule will help the gelding extend his season.

Among the rivals Coach Cal faces in the 10th race are former Gold Series competitor Best Ears from Post 3 and 12th ranked Machman from Post 4. Division leader Fiesty Flyer, undefeated through the first three Grassroots events, will also start from Post 9 on Saturday, making his bid for a fourth victory in the last division.

The exciting three-year-old pacing colts will battle in Races 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11. The first contenders will parade onto the Georgian Downs oval at 7:25 pm.

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

(OSS)