Kawartha Downs leading driver Gord Brown piloted a pair of two-year-old pacing colts to Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots victories during the Fraserville oval's meet-closing card on Saturday evening.
The Brighton reinsman made his first appearance in the Grassroots winner’s circle with Markathy, who has yet to be bested through five starts. While Saturday marked the Mister Big colt’s debut in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, he has been trouncing the non-winners of one competition at Kawartha Downs every week since July 25.
The colt’s regular pilot, Brown sent Markathy after the lead early and the youngster rolled along on the front end and then battled down the stretch when Pop Pop Joe mounted a late challenge. Markathy hit the wire half a length on top in a personal-best clocking of 1:54.2. Pop Pop Joe was second and Opening Line completed the top three.
Brown engineered the win for trainer Mark Steacy and his wife Katherine Steacy of Lansdowne, Ont., who purchased the colt for $8,000 from last fall’s Canadian Yearling Sale.
Three races later Brown was back in the winner’s circle with Prince Clyde, who picked up his second win in four days. The Camluck colt scored his first lifetime victory at Georgian Downs on Aug. 20 against non-winners of one company, and was even more impressive in Saturday’s Grassroots test.
Starting from post seven, Brown settled Prince Clyde into fourth and waited until the second half of the race to roll the colt up the outside. By the three-quarters, the pair was just a nose behind pacesetter King Royalty and they pulled away in the stretch to a one and three-quarter length victory in a sharp 1:54.1, a personal best for the colt.
Sunderland, Ont. resident Murray Brethour trains Prince Clyde for his partner Douglas Millard of Woodstock, Ont. The partners also bred the colt, who now has two wins, one second and one third to his credit through five starts.
Driver Yves Filion and trainer Stephane Larocque also won a pair of $12,857 Grassroots divisions combining with V I P Bayama (1:55.4) and Shadow Place (1:56.1).
The other Grassroots winner were: Allstar Seelster (1:56) and driver Brad Forward for trainer Jack Darling; Brodys Scrapper (1:56.1) and driver Stu Sowerby for trainer Bud Sinclair; and Regal Babe (1:55.2) and driver Mike Saftic for trainer Gregg McNair.
The two-year-old pacing colts make their fifth Grassroots start at Dresden Raceway on Sept. 2.
Saturday’s contest wrapped up Kawartha Downs’ 2013 Ontario Sires Stakes schedule, which saw the Fraserville oval host four Grassroots events.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Kawartha Downs.
(With files from OSS)