Ontario Sires Stakes fans will be heading to Mohawk Racetrack on Monday, Aug. 26 to see whether three-year-old pacing colt Champagne Phil can extend his Grassroots win streak to five.
The Shanghai Phil gelding and driver Chris Christoforou of Campbellville will line up at Post 7 in the first $18,000 Grassroots division, taking on a field of 10 rivals. The duo opened the Grassroots season at Mohawk on June 21 with a 1:52.4 victory and scored a second win over the Campbellville oval on Aug. 9. In between those starts Brad Forward piloted Champagne Phil to a personal best 1:51.4 in the Georgian Downs Grassroots event, and on Aug. 16 Jody Jamieson teamed the gelding to a track record 1:52.1 clocking at Grand River Raceway.
Ken Oliver of Hamilton conditions the division leader — who currently sits 50 points ahead of his nearest rival in the sophomore pacing colt standings — for ICR Racing of Pefferlaw. In 11 sophomore starts Champagne Phil has posted five wins for earnings of $36,528.
With 100 points tallied in his three Grassroots starts, George Jettison is 100 points behind Champagne Phil and will be looking to close the gap from Post 5 in the second division on Monday. After making one start at the Gold level, George Jettison earned a win in his first Grassroots outing, circling Georgian Downs in 1:53.4, and then finished second by three-quarters of a length in the next two.
Jack Darling of Cambridge owns and trains the Jeremes Jet son, who boasts a sophomore record of four wins, three seconds and two thirds in 19 starts for earnings of $52,670. The gelding faces a tough field in Monday’s eighth race, facing off against four other Grassroots winners. Sea Harrier will start from Post 2, Santanna One gets Post 3, Stonebridge Adam gets Post 6, and Classic Gent starts from Post 8.
The three-year-old pacing colts will battle in Races 4, 8 and 9 on Mohawk Racetrack’s Monday evening program, which gets under way at 7:25 p.m.
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To view entries for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.