The three-year-old trotting colts returned to Grassroots action Thursday, July 16 and all five winners matched or bettered their personal best efforts, in spite of competing over a rain soaked Woodbine Mohawk Park oval.
Ripped And Ready led off in the first $23,150 division and delivered an impressive effort from Post 9 to score his second straight Grassroots victory. In rein to Jody Jamieson the fan favourite eased away from the starting gate into sixth heading for the :27 quarter, then circled out to close the gap on the early leaders, dropping briefly into fifth heading by the :56.4 half.
Confident in his mount, Jamieson soon had Ripped And Ready on the move and the colt had a clear path to the front by the 1:26.1 three-quarters. Halfway down the stretch Jamieson took a look over both shoulders and sat back to enjoy the rest of the ride. Ripped And Ready trotted under the wire two and one-half lengths the best in a personal best 1:56.2. Pacesetter Archies Star finished second and Dart Guy was third.
“It worked out that a couple made breaks, but he really looked on paper that he was as good as any in the program, so I wasn’t surprised that he won, just the ease with which he did it,” said Jamieson, who engineered the trip for trainer Thierry Vandenplas and owner-breeder Dr. Ruth Irving of Russell, ON.
The win gives Kadabra son Ripped And Ready a sophomore record of three wins and one second in four starts and a share of top spot in the three-year-old trotting colt Grassroots point standings with a perfect 100 through two legs.
Among the colts sharing top spot in the standings with Ripped And Ready is Remember Titans, who battled to a 1:56.1 personal best in the second $23,500 division. After leading the field for most of the mile, Remember Titans held off a charging Aussie Lover and Kenogami Coco in the stretch to score his second Grassroots victory.
“He’s a nice big horse. Flawless gaited and he is finally starting to figure it all out,” said driver James MacDonald of the E L Titan colt. “When he heard the other horse coming he dug in and was able to finish it off.”
Remember Titans now has a record of two wins and two seconds in four starts for trainer Shawn Steacy and owners Landmark 12 Racing Stable of Lansdowne, A K Malik Stable of Ottawa, ON and Dale Larson of Kent City, MI.
The third division saw Freedom Express travel up the outside lane behind the fans’ second choice Angel Nation, and then sprint down the stretch to score his first lifetime victory in 1:57. Favourite Mikey Mass finished two and three-quarter lengths back in second and Massman completed the top three.
Thursday’s outing was just the seventh lifetime for Freedom Express and only the third in which he has stayed on task, one of the others coming in his four race two-year-old campaign and the other in the July 1 Grassroots season opener at Grand River Raceway where he finished fourth.
“I thought he had it in him, but it took some time to get him to put it together,” said driver Chris Christoforou, who drives the Wheeling N Dealin gelding for his father, owner-trainer Charalambos Christoforou of Campbellville, ON. “He got a nice trip and it worked out great.”
Christoforou was back in the winner’s circle after the fourth $23,150 division, guiding Awesomedabra to a 1:57.3 score for owner-trainer Gary Lance of Port Perry, ON. Pacesetter Crossfit Mouse finished one length behind the fan favourite and Mr Arch was well back in third.
The mile equalled the personal best set by the Kadabra gelding winning his Grassroots Semi-final last fall and moved him into a tie for top spot in the sophomore point race through two regular season events.
The final $23,150 division saw Jody Jamieson back in the winner’s circle with Royaltys Odyssey, who followed Charmbo Prince up the outer lane and then powered down the stretch to catch pacesetter Ongoing Royalty with a 1:58.1 effort. Charmbo Prince finished three-quarters of a length back in second and favourite Ongoing Royalty settled for third. All three trotters are by sire Royalty For Life.
The win was Royaltys Odyssey’s first since August of his two-year-old season and came as a distinct relief to the driver and his wife Stephanie Jamieson, who trains the gelding for his father Carl Jamieson of Puslinch and breeder Joanne Morrison of Beeton, ON.
“He’s been a headache his entire career,” said Jamieson. “He’s always had go, just hasn’t put it together since early last year. We’re very happy with his effort.”
Royaltys Odyssey and his peers will have an opportunity to build on Thursday’s success in the third Grassroots Leg on August 15 at Kawartha Downs.
The focus at Woodbine Mohawk Park shifts back to the Gold Series this weekend with the three-year-old pacing fillies arriving at the Milton oval on Friday for two $106,000 divisions, Races 6 and 8, and the two-year-old pacing colts taking their turn on Saturday in a pair of $107,200 divisions, Races 4 and 6. Post time for both Friday and Saturday’s program is 7 p.m.
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To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.