Two-year-old trotting colts and geldings made their Ontario Sires Stakes debut in four $18,000 Grassroots divisions at Kawartha Downs on Saturday night with 'Trottin' Trevor Ritchie scoring a driving double in the stakes event.
Ritchie bookended the OSS action steering Undercover Boss and Striking Hurricane to Grassroots victories.
Favourite Undercover Boss ($6.20) advanced first over from third to wear down front-stepper Theresademoninme (Gord Brown) for the opening division win in 2:01.1 by a quarter-length. Pocket-sitter Southernfriedsting (Trevor Henry) finished over five lengths behind in third.
Trainer Rob Fellows shares ownership of the Ken Warkentin-Under The Pines ridgling with Don and Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood, Ont. and breeders Reg and Donna Higgs of Denfield, Ont.
With the favourite Alerthemedia (Eddie Green) taking himself out of contention with multiple breaks in stride during the mile, second choice Striking Hurricane ($11) went wire-to-wire to win his division by four lengths in 2:04.3 over pocket-sitter Federal Strike (Sylvain Fontaine) and a from-last Kiwi Pres (Matt Bax).
Ronnie MacLean trains the Striking Sahbra-Tarport Maggie colt for Pennsylvania's Hutt Racing Stable.
The other divisions were won by 10-1 shot Massive Muscles (Muscle Mass-Flirting Lavec) and driver Jean Bernard Renaud in 2:03.2 for trainer and co-owner Julie Walker and Striking Patrick (Striking Sahbra-Spry Miss) in 2:01.3 for driver Ryan Holliday and trainer-owner David Holliday.
All four winners were making their first career starts.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Kawartha Downs.