No Plan Intended set a new track record at Dresden Raceway on Monday afternoon (Aug. 2), winning his Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series event in 1:53.4 for driver Marc St. Louis.
The Up The Credit gelding won the first Grassroots division for three-year-old colts and geldings after setting fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:24.4. Dr Joe and Austin Sorrie were second, while Travis Henry guided Imabeachboy to a third place finish.
St. Louis said, "I knew I was close to the record, so I asked him a little down the lane even though I had a good lead. He did all the work once he got to the front. He is a very nice horse."
Trainer Carl Jamieson shares ownership of No Plan Intended with Brian Paquet.
“He’s never raced on a half before, that’s the first time. He’s never even trained on a half really, but I thought he’d get around all right. He seems to be pretty good gaited,” said Jamieson. “Either take him back or go to the front, it didn’t matter what you did with him. I thought he could win both ways.”
The previous mark was set in 2005, when Must Be Matt and Caviarandsoftmusic were both clocked in 1:54.1.
Harpers Hat Trick won the second division for driver Travis Henry. The Sportswriter colt went wire-to-wire through fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:28 en route to a 1:56.1 win. Sorrie was second with Last Bet and Premier Nacho and Paul MacKenzie finished third.
“I thought he had the most half-mile experience out of the whole race, so I didn’t have to be careful with him,” said Henry of the victorious favourite. “He was in with nice horses, but I think the half-mile experience helped him the most in there.”
Harpers Hat Trick is co-owned by trainer Kris Haskell and Grant Shelton.
Proline and Anthony Haughan also used front-end speed to capture the third division, pacing splits of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:26.2 before completing their mile in 1:55.1. Flash Cube and Guy Gagnon were second while Henry and Mr Charisma got up for third.
“He was really straightforward; I really liked him. He was a little lazy on the front, and when the horses came to him he went,” said Haughan, who was making his first appearance in the colt’s race bike. “He’d been racing at Mohawk. I’m not sure if he’s raced on a half, probably not this year anyway, and he got around there really good. He just relaxed on the front, and when the horses came, he went. I never felt like I was threatened.”
Determination has the ownership papers of Proline, a Sportswriter colt whom Luc Blais trains.
St. Louis won both divisions of the Ontario Prospect Series for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. He scored in the first division with Big Teddy in 1:56.4 for Blueshoe Investments and trainer Tyler Nostadt. St. Louis hit the winner's circle in the second Prospect Series race with Pretty Boy Duke for owner Glenview Livestock and trainer Lacey McCabe. The Sunshine Beach colt paced in 1:58.4.
Scott Wray scored two wins to out-duel Garrett Rooney for the driving title. Wray ended up with 18 wins on the year to Rooney's 16. Tyler Nostadt's two training wins on the card pushed him past Donnie Rankin Jr. for the training title with eight victories on the season.
The handle at Dresden Raceway was $51,384, of which just over $20,000 was bet on track.
To view Monday's complete results, click the following link: Monday Results – Dresden Raceway.
(Dresden Raceway, with quotes from the Ontario Sires Stakes)