Ranked fifth and sixth heading into Friday’s regular season finale at Flamboro Downs, two-year-old pacing colts Who Doesnt and Franceschetti are just a handful of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots contenders Wayne Giles hopes to be watching in the semifinal round
.
“We have a few that are in and a couple on the cusp, so hopefully we’ll show up with something,” says the resident of Burlington, Ont., who operates R A W Equine Inc. with his son, Robert Giles, of Milton, Ont. “Like the saying, it’s not how many fights you win, it’s how many you show up for.”
Giles will have a choice of events to show up for on Friday, as two-year-old trotting colt House Money wraps up his Grassroots season at Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway at the same time that Franceschetti and Who Doesnt wrap things up in Dundas.
“I’ll be at one track or the other,” said Giles, who will also look to catch two-year-old trotting filly Northern Senorita in action at Georgian Downs on Tuesday, and three-year-old trotting colts Idle Time and Vesa T at Grand River Raceway on Wednesday.
First off the gate for R A W Equine at Flamboro on Friday is Franceschetti, who will make his bid for a second straight Grassroots victory from Post 6 in the fourth race. Franceschetti captured his September 15 division at Dresden Raceway in a personal best 1:58.2, boosting his point total to 116 through five Grassroots appearances.
Mark Horner conditions Franceschetti for his partner in the Sure Gain Stable, Charles Dolmage of Mitchell, Ont. and Raw Equine Inc. Michael Horner pilots the son of Mach Three and Puttingontheglitz. The pair will face a tough crowd on Friday, which will include the No. 4 ranked Huxley (Post 2), Kawartha Downs track record holder Tye Seelster (Post 5), and the seventh-ranked Red Carpet Dude (Post 9).
Who Doesnt will make his bid for a second Grassroots trophy from Post 9 in the eighth race. Phil Hudon will steer the Mach Three gelding for his father, trainer Joe Hudon of Acton, Ont., R A W Equine, and Robert Rubin of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
“We thought he’d be better,” Giles said about the $40,000 yearling purchase. “But he’s still a pretty decent animal.”
Through five Grassroots appearances Who Doesnt has tallied 120 points from one win, two seconds, one third and one fourth. The youngster heads into Friday’s outing off a runner-up showing at Dresden behind undefeated division leader R Gauwitz Hanover. On Friday Who Doesnt will face an equally daunting opponent in No. 2 colt True To Mach, who will start from Post 7 in the eighth race. Also in the field is former Gold Series competitor, Fenian Hanover, who will start from Post 4.
With their current point totals, neither Who Doest nor Franceschetti needs a top three finish in order to advance to the Semifinal round, but Giles would like to see both colts deliver a solid outing heading into the post season.
“They’re both fairly decent colts. They’re fairly consistent,” said the longtime owner, who purchased his first standardbred with his father in 1969. “I hope they’ll prove they’ll be worth hanging onto.”
The two-year-old pacing colts will open Flamboro Downs’ Friday evening program at 6:00 p.m., and will continue to show off their skills in Races 2, 3, 4, 8 and 11.
Flamboro Downs fans will once again have an opportunity to enter the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s 'Win The Thrill' contest. By simply entering a ballot in the box assigned to the horse they believe will capture the designated Win The Thrill race, fans can earn Flamboro Downs betting vouchers and prizes, and qualify for the October 1 grand prize draw for a share in the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s New Owner Mentoring Program.
Longtime owner Brian Webster of St. George Brant, Ont. and trainer Tony O’Sullivan of Cambridge, Ont. will guide the grand prize winner and eight other members of the SBOA New Owner Group through the purchase and ownership of an Ontario-sired yearling in hopes of competing in the 2012-2013 OSS program.
To view the harness racing entries for Friday at Flamboro, click the following link: Friday - Flamboro Downs
(OSS)