Delightful Terror kicked off the second leg of the three-year-old pacing colt Grassroots Series in impressive fashion on Friday, July 24, circling Woodbine Mohawk Park in a personal best 1:49.3.
In rein to Louis-Philippe Roy, Delightful Terror got away sixth from Post 7, tucking in behind fan favourite Bettorbuckleup as Messier Seelster led the field of nine to a sharp :25.2 opening quarter. Taking over the lead, Sunshine List maintained the brisk tempo through the :53.1 half while Delightful Terror started to advance up the outer lane behind Bettorbuckleup. Bettorbuckleup had a head in front of Sunshine List at the 1:22 three-quarters, but when Roy asked Delightful Terror for another gear the colt unleashed his trademark finishing kick and sprinted home to a two and one-quarter length victory. Bettorbuckleup settled for third and Bettor In Cash also closed well to be third.
“He was great tonight. I knew he was sitting on a big effort, because he has been racing well against tougher competition,” said trainer Shawn Steacy of Brantford. “A hot pace to chase helped, but he put in a very good effort.”
The win was the first of the sophomore campaign for Delightful Terror, who finished third to Bettorbuckleup in the June 27 Grassroots season opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Bettors Delight son, who was also a Grassroots winner at two, is owned by Shelly and Robert MacMillan of Waterloo, breeder Doug Millard Farms of Woodstock and Vivian Bell of St. Thomas, ON.
The win was the first of three for Roy on the Grassroots program. The Guelph resident was back in the winner’s circle after the second and sixth divisions.
In the second split the reinsman put heavy favourite Twin B Frenchtoast on the front from Post 2 and never looked back, rolling through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:24 on the way to a 1:51.2 victory. Delightful Terror’s stablemate Truffle Dog was three and one-half lengths back second and My Bettors Del completed the top three.
Richard Moreau conditions Twin B Frenchtoast for William Wood of Denton, MD, William Dittmar, Jr. of Langhorne, PA, Stephen Iaquinta of Havertown, PA and Toby Rekoon of Westfield, NJ. Friday’s victory was the Sunshine Beach colt’s fourth of 2020 and his first in Ontario Sires Stakes action.
Roy completed the Grassroots hat trick with a front end effort aboard YS Mathis in the last $23,150 division. The pair took control heading by the :27.1 quarter, rang up a :56 half and a 1:23.2 three-quarters, and then held off Sundown Kid and fan favourite Mayhem Hanover in the stretch for a neck victory in 1:51.
Puslinch resident Moreau also trains Sportswriter son YS Mathis for owner-breeder Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation, QC. YS Mathis, a two-time winner at the Gold Series level as a two-year-old, earned his first win of the sophomore season in the June 27 Grassroots event.
“All three are good Grassroots horses. They’re really nice colts. It shows how deep the three-year-old pacing colt division is this year. I couldn’t tell you which one of the three is the best right now,” said Roy of his Grassroots winners. “This division will probably bring us a nice competitive race when it comes time for the Finals.”
Driver Jody Jamieson recorded a Grassroots driving double, guiding Sports Obsession and Cold Creek Cabo to wins in the fourth and fifth divisions.
Sports Obsession, also a Gold Series competitor at two, went gate-to-wire from Post 6, hitting the wire in a personal best 1:51.3. Bettor At Hightide finished four and one-quarter lengths behind the fan favourite and Illbewatchingu was third.
“He’s sort of a hard luck three-year-old,” said Jamieson, whose wife Stephanie Jamieson trains the Sportswriter son for Carl Jamieson of Puslinch, ON and George Harrison of Wanes Walton, England. “He’s big and strong, but he just couldn’t go with the Gold colts this year. The Grassroots helped tonight as he got it his own way and jogged, really.”
In the fifth division Jamieson left smartly with Cold Creek Cabo from Post 4 and led the field to a :26.4 quarter, then yielded to fan favourite Mack, content to sit in the pocket through a :55.2 half and a 1:23.3 three-quarters. In the stretch Jamieson gave the Dali gelding a clear look at the finish and Cold Creek Cabo kicked home to a one-half length win in 1:51.4. Mack settled for second and Day Delight was third.
“He just got a great trip and turned it into a win,” said Moffat resident Jamieson. “He’s a real green colt, but he knows where the wire is.”
The win was Cold Creek Cabo’s first, in just his fifth lifetime start. William Slack trains the youngster for breeder Daniel Walker and Debora Stokes of Grafton, ON.
The other division went to The Wild Card and driver Doug McNair who went gate-to-wire in 1:52.2 for trainer Dr. Ian Moore of Cambridge, ON and his co-owners R G Mcgroup Ltd. of Bathurst, NB and Serge Savard of St-Bruno, QC. Gonnahaveonemore and Lous Delight finished three and one-half lengths back in second and third.
The win was The Wild Card’s second in Grassroots action, putting him in a tie for top spot in the division point standings with YS Mathis. The next opportunity for the three-year-old pacing colts to pad their Grassroots point tally comes August 16 at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
On Saturday evening (July 25) the three-year-old pacing colts will square off in Gold Series action at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The talented pacers will battle in Races 2 and 8 on the program, which gets underway at 7 p.m.
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To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.