Champagne Phil uncorked a personal-best effort at Georgian Downs on Saturday night to capture his second Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division.
The three-year-old pacer and driver Brad Forward sat third through the early going while fan favourite Regal Hope rolled through fractions of :26.2 and :55.3. Heading for the three-quarter marker, Forward sent Champagne Phil to the front and the gelding cruised to a 1:23 three-quarters before pulling away to a two length victory in a new mark of 1:51.4. OK Ferrari and Southwind Amazon rounded out the top three.
Kenneth Oliver conditions Champagne Phil for ICR Racing of Pefferlaw. Through nine starts this season, the Shanghai Phil son boasts three wins -- two of them in Grassroots action.
Cambridge resident Forward also piloted Classic Gent to a 1:51.3 victory in the third $15,000 division for trainer Stanley Malec and Classic Farms of Belle River.
Driver Robert Shepherd of Cambridge and trainer Dave Menary of Cheltenham combined to capture the first two Grassroots divisions with No Pan Intended sons Panpero Firpo and Panongahela. Last season’s Grassroots champion Panpero Firpo hit the wire in 1:53 off a front end effort and Panongahela used similar tactics to clock a 1:52 victory. Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, Ohio owns both colts.
Not wanting to break the pattern, driver J.R. Plante guided the winners of the last two Grassroots divisions. The Burlington resident eked out a quarter length victory for George Jettison in the ninth race, halting the teletimer at 1:53.4. Jack Darling of Cambridge owns and trains the Jeremes Jet son.
Plante’s margin of victory in the final division was also narrow as Maddysonofagun held a head in front of Berkshire Bear and Can He Go to score a 1:54 victory. Jim Ainsworth of Sarnia conditions the Modern Art son for his partners Shelley Ainsworth of Sarnia and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga.
The three-year-old pacing colts make their third Grassroots start at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 9. Next up on the Georgian Downs Ontario Sires Stakes schedule are the two-year-old trotting colts in their third Grassroots appearance on Tuesday, July 30.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.
(OSS)