Rookie trotting colts made their way to Grand River Raceway on Friday, Sept. 1 for the fourth leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots series.
Northernchancellor (pictured above) delivered as the 4-5 choice in the first Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division. Driver Austin Sorrie landed Northernchancellor away in third as longshot Charmbro Titan (Doug McNair) trotted strongly on the lead through a :29.1 opening panel and :59.4 half.
Sorrie edged Northernchancellor away from the cones to advance first-over and apply pressure down the backside. The front pair reached the third station in 1:30.1 with Charmbro Titan determined to upset the public choice. Trotting in unison around the far turn, Northernchancellor's fresh legs helped him pull away from Charmbro Titan in the stretch and hit the wire 1-1/2 lengths to the good. The time of the mile was 2:00.4, with Charmbro Titan a solid second and Lockdown Romeo (Matt Bax) rounding out the top trio.
Northernchancellor (Muscle Mass - Honor Grad) is trained by Bruce MacDonald for owner Mardon Stables of Loretto, Ont. The rookie trotter picked up his second win in seven starts, lifting his earnings to $32,170. He returned $3.90 to win.
R No Mercy ($3.10) delivered on his 1-2 promise in the second division, surviving a stern challenge for a maiden-breaking score.
Doug McNair tried the same approach with R No Mercy as he did in the first division with stablemate Charmbro Titan — make the front and make them beat you. After first fractions of :29.3 and 1:00.1, Alexander (Bax) popped the pocket on R No Mercy around the five-eighths mark as the leader wasn't a fan of that first turn on either lap. Alexander took the lead at the 1:29.2 third station but R No Mercy fought back mercilessly along the rail to rebuff Alexander and then repel a late rail challenge from Eiffel Power (Travis Henry) to win by three parts of a length in 2:01.1. Brutalizer (Colin Kelly) completed the triactor.
A three-time runner-up in five tries prior to tonight's event, R No Mercy (Alarm Detector - Absolut Seelster) punched through for his first win for breeder-owners Liz & Tom Rankin of St. Catharines, Ont. The lion's share of the purse gives the bay colt a bankroll of $29,631.
In The Mood doesn't seem to be in the mood to win this year unless she's racing at Grand River. A 17-time starter in her four-year-old season, the daughter of Sunshine Beach - Racey Miss sports four wins from those appearances and three of those have come at the Elora, Ont. oval.
J Harris engineered the winning trip in Friday's $11,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 2 Pace, stalking Arizona (Nick Steward) first up from the half, forging to the lead down the backside and then holding off favoured Gias Surreal (Tyler Moore) by three parts of a length to win in 1:54.1. Darkrshadeofpale N (Colin Kelly) was third.
Shawn Steacy trains In The Mood ($8.70), now a 13-time winner with $269,067 earned, for her breeder-owner Hudson Standardbred Inc. of Hudson, Que.
To view the results from the Friday card of harness racing at Grand River, click the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.