Wire-to-wire was the winning formula for the successful two-year-old trotters in Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots action at Hanover Raceway on Saturday (Sept. 10).
A number of the horses that factored prominently in the 2022 Balanced Image Trot at Hanover were back in the Grey-Bruce region for stakes action. Surprisingly, the 2022 Balanced Image champ Floyd The Freak was sent off as the fourth choice in his $21,800 split. While he had an outside post, starting from the six hole, Floyd The Freak ($7.40) showed his stakes winning form was no fluke and held off a late rally from favoured Resolved To Win (James MacDonald) to win in a career best 2:00.1 for driver Ed Hensley and trainer Ashleigh Hensley. Rough Tuff Tested, another Balanced Image elim winner, completed the triactor for driver Jonathan Drury.
A Hensley-owned homebred, Floyd The Freak (Archangel - Escuela) now sports a summary of 4-2-1 from seven lifetime starts with earnings of $58,512.
Darbyshire atoned for his miscue two weeks ago as the Balanced Image favourite, winning his $21,800 Grassroots division comfortably for MacDonald in 2:01.4 over All Star Yankee (Drury) with Cruising Tom (Bob McClure) in the show spot.
John Bax trains Darbyshire for his Bax Stable of Campbellville, breeder and co-owner Glengate Farms of Erin along with Goin To The Show Stable of Peterborough and Happy Trails Stables of London, Ont. In seven starts, Darbyshire has posted five wins with $46,900 in earnings. The gelding paid $2.90 to win.
The connections of Busting With Pride ($4.00) will certainly be beaming with pride after the rookie trotter got himself back in the win column with a near seven-length romp as the even money choice in his $21,400 division. Trevor Henry engineered the winning trip for Busting With Pride, a 2:03 winner over longshots Mr Experience (Tyler Borth) and Electro Long Legs (Steve Byron).
A homebred of trainer Bob McIntosh and co-owner Dave Boyle of Bowmanville, Ont., Busting With Pride (Resolve - Bustingattheseams) boasts a 3-2-0 summary from seven starts with more than $42,000 earned.
Driver Jason Ryan had three wins on the day, including a sweep of the fifth leg of the Prospect Series for three-year-old pacing fillies. He won the opener in gate-to-wire fashion aboard Sauble Amber ($2.90) in 1:57.1. Otis Hall trains the daughter of Bettertaincheddar - Ambrosia Seelster, now a five-time winner this season, for breeders and owners Sauble Hill Farms of Tara and Nasussito Racing Inc. of Ayr, Ont. Three of her seasonal tallies have come in the Prospect Series.
Ryan swept the Prospects as Lolas Sunshine ($13.00) held off Royal Blush and driver Travis Henry to win by a nose in 1:58.3. Lolas Sunshine is a daughter of Sunshine Beach - Lola Palooza owned by trainer Scott McNiven of Putnam along with Tom Brodhurst of London, Donald Douglas of Ingersoll and Brad McNiven of Embro, Ont. In four Prospect Series appearances this year, Lolas Sunshine sports a 2-2-0 summary with those runner-up finishes coming by a neck and a head.
For full results from Saturday's card of harness racing at Hanover, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hanover Raceway.