Ontario’s exciting two-year-old pacing colts sweep into Dresden Raceway on Monday for the second last Grassroots contest of their regular season.
Looking to add a few more points to his tally and extend his freshman campaign is Can He Go, who was bred and raised in Chatham by Rob Chapple. In his first three Grassroots appearances the son of No Pan Intended and $449,634 winner Canadette has posted two thirds and one fourth for a total of 32 points.
“He’s lacked a bit of racing luck,” says trainer Mark Austin of the winner of $8,448. “Up at Sudbury last week it looked like he was going to be at worst second, but he got interfered with around the last turn. One of Bob McIntosh’s colts made a break and hooked our front wheel when we were going by him.”
Can He Go stayed game to finish third in that Aug. 22 start over the Sudbury Downs half-mile. In his Aug. 13 Grassroots outing at Mohawk Racetrack the youngster was pushed out to the middle of the racetrack looking for racing room in the final quarter and sprinted home in :27.3 to finish fourth.
The youngster will be hampered by Post 7 in Monday’s test at Dresden Raceway, but Austin is hoping he can find his way to a top three finish and add a few more points to his tally.
A third generation product of the Chapple family’s breeding program, Can He Go was a tough customer in his earliest days at Austin’s Fergus farm, but the trainer says he is developing into a capable young racehorse.
“He was tough to break, but once we got a handle on him there and got him going he was good,” says the horseman. “And when we threw him a race bike he sprang ahead.
“He’s a growthy colt, I think he’ll be a little bit better as a three-year-old,” Austin adds.
Among the skills Can He Go still needs to develop is the ability to sprint away from the starting gate. Austin hopes maturity, racing experience and a few more inside posts will help the colt acquire some early speed.
“He hasn’t shown much gate speed yet, that’s the only set back to him,” notes the trainer. “We need a little better post to leave with him a little bit.”
Among the colts that will be vying to control the tempo in Monday’s eighth race are former Grassroots division winners Windsong Joker from Post 2 and Sly Ruler from Post 4.
Can He Go will be reunited with former pasture mate Brocks Fortune at Dresden on Monday. Brocks Fortune, currently tied for twelfth in the division standings, will be looking for his second Grassroots win from Post 6 in the ninth race.
Through four Grassroots starts the Randy Fritz trainee has posted one win and two thirds for 74 points. The son of Stonebridge Regal and $175,389 winner Fannies Fortune also faces a tough field, including division leader Southwind Amazon who is undefeated through three starts at Post 4, and former Grassroots winners Classic Gent from Post 7 and State Of Euphoria from Post 8.
In addition to competing in the Grassroots program, Brocks Fortune tested his skills against the province’s best in the Battle of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway, finishing second in his July 30 elimination and fifth in the Aug. 6 final. The colt has banked $41,010 on Chapple’s behalf through eight starts.
The two-year-old pacing colts will engage in their Grassroots battles in Races 2, 4 and 6 through 10 on Monday. The first race on Dresden Raceway’s Labour Day program gets under way at 1 p.m.
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To view entries for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Entries – Dresden Raceway.