Officials with Hanover Raceway have released a preview for the track’s Saturday, July 5 program of live racing, which will feature multiple Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots races.

Tyrone Haji, is currently the leading OSS Gold Point earner, is in to go. His trainer, Bob McIntosh, shares ownership of the three-year-old with Dave Boyle of Bowmanville. The son of Kadabra won an OSS Gold race at The Raceway at Western Fair District on May 30 and finished fifth over a ‘sloppy’ track at Mohawk Racetrack in his last start (June 24). McIntosh says they decided to drop the three-year-old into the Grassroots because he races really well on a half mile track, and he felt that the gelding is better suited in the Grassroots.

The top points earner in the Grassroots this season is Aventure who is two-for-two this summer, including a 1:55.3 win at Mohawk on June 26. Trainer Bill Budd of Waterdown says he got the horse from Orville Rursch of Illinois as a two-year-old. Budd says that the son of Muscle Mass is a pleasure to work with and he’s very handy both on seven-eighths and half-mile tracks. Budd says he expects driver Trevor Henry will leave from Post 6, but says the colt has proven he can work out a mile from the front or from behind.

Also doing well this season is Dream of Glory-eligible horse Razor Ramone for trainer/driver/co-owner Mark Etsell, formerly of Hanover. Etsell shares ownership on the son of Kadabra with Bob Newton of Walkerton and Chuan Tan of Cambridge. The homebred has a win and a second at Mohawk in two OSS starts this year, including a win from Post 10 at Mohawk on June 26. Etsell says he’s not sure how his horse will handle the half mile, and isn’t too concerned about getting the outside Post 7. Razor Ramone won his last start from the 10-hole at Mohawk, and despite an early break three starts back, he closed well enough to finish second on June 9 in his other OSS start. Etsell says if he would have had a few more feet of stretch drive he probably would have won, adding that if ‘Ramone’ does well on Saturday he’ll likely be back for the Dream Of Glory eliminations on July 26.

Six divisions of three-year-old trotting colts will hit the track Saturday night. It’s also Ladies Night, with special prize draws, and the start of the Survivor Handicapping Contest. One lucky fan will win a high definition television courtesy of Country 93 radio. The free contest starts in Race 5 and runs every Saturday for the month of July.

First-race post time at Hanover Raceway is 7:15 p.m.

To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Hanover, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Hanover Raceway.

(Hanover)