Heading into Sunday’s Grassroots event at Rideau Carleton Raceway, three-year-old trotting colt Alltheway Abra is riding a three race win streak, a fact that trainer-driver Jason Gilchrist regards as nothing short of miraculous
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“At two he didn’t want to trot at all, and this year training down he was the next thing to a disaster,” explains the Iroquois, ON resident. “He couldn’t trot, wouldn’t trot. I was getting really frustrated with him.”
At his wits’ end, Gilchrist decided to try a screen on the colt one day when he was putting the same equipment on another horse, and for some reason it seemed to help. The horseman continued to tinker with the Alltheway Abra’s equipment, and when it came time to qualify he could not believe the result.
On May 13 the son of Kadabra and former Gold Series regular Strong And Fancy ($302,450) toured the Rideau Carleton oval in 2:02.3, posting a four and one-half length win.
“As soon as we brought him to qualify he was starting to get good,” recalls Gilchrist, who conditions the trotter for Dr. Frederick Albert of Prescott, ON. “He hasn’t been beat this year, which is pretty surprising.”
The colt made a miscue in his second qualifying attempt, but after a few more minor equipment changes he was back on target, recording a 2:02 victory in a May 27 qualifier.
Making his sophomore debut in a non-winners of one race event at Rideau Carleton, Alltheway Abra delivered an impressive come from behind effort to eke out a nose win in 2:01. Two weeks later Gilchrist put him back in the same class, and the youngster delivered a confident 1:59.2 victory, finishing two and one-quarter lengths ahead of the field. That effort earned him a shot at the Grassroots colts, and at Kawartha Downs on June 26 Alltheway Abra announced his provincial arrival with a 1:58.1 triumph.
“I was surprised at Peterborough how well he actually raced,” admits Gilchrist, who also drives the colt.
The pair make their second Grassroots start from Post 7 in the fifth $24,000 Grassroots division on Sunday, facing off against a field that includes another winner from the Kawartha Downs event. Northern Spark will be looking for his third win of the season from Post 4.
Gilchrist will also harness two other colts in Sunday’s Grassroots event, and says the trio are fairly comparable depending on their racing luck. First out of the paddock will be Up To Speed, who is hunting his first sophomore win from Post 4 in the first race.
The Angus Hall son was fourth in the Grassroots season opener at Western Fair Raceway on May 26, and fifth at Kawartha Downs, and Gilchrist would love to see him get a bigger share on Sunday.
“When he was real good he had tough luck and then he had a little sickness,” notes the horseman. “At London he was really, really good, but he got caught in behind a long shot.
“He was a good horse last year. He hasn’t trotted fast this year yet, but hopefully that will come,” Gilchrist adds.
A K Malik Stable of Ottawa own Up To Speed, who won a pair of Grassroots events as a two-year-old.
The final entrant from the Gilchrist barn is Kenny My Boy, who will start from Post 2 in the last division. The Ken Warkentin son has made errors in both of his Grassroots starts this season, but Gilchrist is hoping home field advantage will work in his favour this weekend. All three of the trotter’s victories have come over the Ottawa oval, the most recent in a June 18 non-winners of one race contest.
“He likes this track, that will be the thing with him,” explains the horseman. “He always seems to race good at Rideau.”
Dr. Albert also owns Kenny My Boy, who is the first foal from former Mark Steacy trainee Incredible Mother, who earned $134,720 in her career.
The three-year-old trotting colts will wage their Grassroots battles in Races 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11 on Sunday evening, with the first race rolling in behind the Rideau Carleton Raceway starting gate at 6:30 p.m.
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To view Sunday’s entries, click here.