Dustin Jones was hopeful Dont Rush could be a Grassroots trotter heading into his two-year-old season. Over $400,000 in earnings later, the son of Infinitif will start from Post 2 in Saturday’s $700,000 Canadian Trotting Classic.

Dont Rush won four of 11 starts last season, including his final start in the $250,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. Co-owned and bred by Dustin Jones Stable Inc., Dont Rush has been a pleasant surprise for his conditioner.

“I was hoping he was going to be a good Grassrooter as a two-year-old,” said Jones. “He ended up being way better than I thought he was going to be.”

After a strong two-year-old season, Jones had plans for Dont Rush to explore the Grand Circuit and race in harness racing’s most prestigious trot, but those plans changed early this season.

“I was hoping that he would be one of the top Ontario Sired and maybe race him in the Hambletonian,” said Jones. “But I found out early that he wasn’t able to trot in 1:51.”

Dont Rush has stayed close to home this season and won three of nine starts, including two Gold events, for earnings of over $100,000. While the Jones trainee has proven to be a top performer on the track, the sophomore trotter isn’t the most intimidating in person.

“He’s not a very big horse and if you look at him in the paddock you would be quite surprised how small he is,” Jones said. “He sort of pumps himself up on the track when he is hooked up, but he is what he is.”

The son of Infinitif has stepped up to tackle Grand Circuit trotters in his last two starts and finished fourth in both attempts, including last Saturday’s Canadian Trotting Classic elimination.

Dont Rush had to avoid a breaking horse at the top of the stretch, which may have cost him a third-place finish, but Jones was happy with the effort.

“I thought he raced alright. I think he trotted his last half in :55.4 and with the two-hole I’m hoping to get a cheque.”

Dont Rush is entering the Canadian Trotting Classic as a longshot against the four-horse Jimmy Takter-trained juggernaut, but when the big money is on the line anything can happen.

“I’m hoping they go a little faster fractions to the first-half and then maybe he has a chance to pick up a cheque at the end,” said Jones, who will have Chris Christoforou handling the driving duties.

Following the Canadian Trotting Classic, Dont Rush will finish off the Ontario Sires Stakes schedule, before taking another crack at the sport’s top three-year-olds.

“I think he still has a good shot to win the Super Final,” said Jones. “He’s got a Gold here (Mohawk) on the 28th and then the Super Final and then we will probably try him in the Breeders Crown.”

Dont Rush will look to become the first Ontario Sired winner of the Canadian Trotting Classic since Daylon Magician in 2011.

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

(WEG)