After winning a qualifying race last week at Monticello Raceway in 2:00 following breaks in his first two starts, no one expected a track record performance from the Blake MacIntosh-trained Groovin Will, who got his act together on Monday, July 29 in an Excelsior Stakes, setting a new record of 1:54.1 for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Groovin Will (Roll With Joe-Who Moved The Rock), a $12,000 Goshen Yearling Sale purchase by Ozzie MacKay of Moncton, N.B., set the new divisional track record in afternoon's first $27,778 Excelsior division with Greg Merton in the bike for the one-length victory over 2-5 favourite Invictus.
Groovin Will got the first call from post four before giving way to the parked and pressing Southpaw (Jimmy Whittemore) by the :27.3 opening quarter mark. Southpaw conitnued to lead the field through a :56.3 half before Groovin Will edged out of the pocket and took over command approaching the third quarter mark in 1:25.3. Kicking home in :28.3, he kept clear of late chasers Invictus (Jordan Stratton) and Cigar Smoking Joe (Tyler Buter) for the 6-1 upset.
MacIntosh and Merton took both halves of the early Daily Double with the Excelsior Stakes victory and a NYSS triumph by Courts On Fire.
The maiden-breaking Courts On Fire (Courtly Choice-Ashlees Spitfire) won his third career start in the NYSS, rallying three-wide from the pocket at the third quarter mark to defeat the duelling leaders, Holt Hanover (Mark MacDonald) and Meltdown Monte (Tyler Buter), in 1:55.3 by 2-1/4 lengths.
Courts On Fire was the heavy 1-5 favourite in the $71,528 division following up a pair of top three finishes in his previous starts. The colt, a $16,000 Goshen yearling acquisition, is owned by MacIntosh and the Pennsylvania-based Hutt Racing Stable along with Tim Klemencic of Trenton, Ont., and Daniel Plouffe of Bromont, Que.
The landscape changed in the second $71,528 NYSS division with the scratch of the undefeated Fast Choice. Favourite status was granted to Silent Weapon (Huntsville-D D Delightful), who had hit the board in his prior two starts, and the 1-5 choice delivered his first career win, sprinting a final quarter in :28 to take the lead from Oogleville (Mark MacDonald) and draw off by more than six lengths in 1:54.4 for driver Matt Kakaley. Watch My Warrior (Barton Dalious) finished third. Trained by Travis Alexander, the winner is a Fiddler's Creek Stable homebred.
The other Excelsior divisions were won by Digging For Gold (Huntsville-Gold Orchid N) in 1:57.1 for driver Tyler Buter and trainer George Ducharme; Seafood Neighneigh (Huntsville-Seafood Missy) in 1:57.3 with Jordan Stratton driving for trainer Nicholas Vamvilis; and Spirit Of Freedom (American Ideal-Face To Face) in 1:57.3 with Buter in the bike for the John Butenschoen stable.
(Standardbred Canada with files from Monticello Raceway)