Ontario Sires Stakes leading trainer Gregg McNair enjoyed another productive night at the track with two-year-old pacing colts Three Of Clubs and Crafty Master posting authoritative wins in their respective $70,000 Gold Series divisions at Grand River Raceway.
With McNair's son Doug driving, both colts overcame outside post positions to win their divisions by four lengths over a track with a one second variant.
Returning to Grand River where he won the Battle Of Waterloo on Aug. 5, Three Of Clubs rolled through fractions of :27, :56.2 and 1:25.3 en route to a four length victory in 1:55 flat. Marco De Vie (Trevor Henry) and Twin B Spy (Brad Forward) finished second and third.
McNair shares ownership of the Mach Three-Cc Kloe colt with Tony Lawrence of Hanover and the Shady Hill Racing Stable of Durham, Ont. Three Of Clubs now has four wins in seven starts with earnings totalling $151,367. He was also a Gold winner on July 8 at Mohawk Racetrack.
Crafty Master settled away third after early interference while Cluster Hanover (J.R. Plante) carved out splits of :26.4, :56 and 1:25.3. The Mister Big-Cam Odie colt sprang into action at the third quarter mark and soared home to a four and a quarter length score in 1:55.1. Favourite Arthur Blue Chip (Randy Waples) finished second after being scratched sick from the Metro Pace and Victor Bayama (Yves Filion) completed the top three.
Also a Gold winner in the July 8 leg, Crafty Master is three-for-seven in his career with a $89,335 bankroll for owner Robert Hamather of Exeter, Ont.
The fastest division of the night was won by Bugger Bruiser and driver Anthony MacDonald. The Carmen Auciello trainee set a two-year-old gelding track record of 1:54.2.
The Believeinbruiser-How Is Carrie gelding led the field through fractions of :28.2, :58 and 1:25.4 and held off favourite Play It Again Sam (Randy Waples) by half a length with Weatherly (Trevor Henry) finishing seven and a half lengths behind in third.
The first-time OSS winner in now three-for-nine in his career with $74,230 stashed away in purse earnings. He is owned by the Denarben Stables of Thornhill and Rocco Auciello of Stouffville, Ont.
The two-year-old pacing colts and geldings will face off in their final Gold Series leg of the regular season next Friday, Sept. 20 at Mohawk Racetrack.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.
Team McNair is on some kind
Team McNair is on some kind of roll. Great People do great things. Onward and upward folks!