In spite of drawing a pair of Post 10’s for Thursday night’s three-year-old pacing colt regular season finale, Cambridge resident Jack Darling took home two Grassroots trophies from Mohawk Racetrack.
Continual Hanover started from Post 10 in the second $18,000 division and was hustled off the starting gate by Milton resident Randy Waples, landing in third as Flaherty reached the opening quarter in :26.3. Continual Hanover remained on the rail behind Flaherty and Bad Gamer through the :55.3 half and 1:23.2 three-quarters before Waples was able to zig-zag into an open lane in the stretch. The fan favourite responded with a sharp finishing kick that propelled him to a one-length victory over Flaherty. Big Place rounded out the top three.
“When they both drew the 10-hole, I was hoping they would be able to pick up a cheque,” admitted Darling, who owns and trains both colts. “Continual left big and got in the three-hole and was locked in around the turn and in the stretch. It didn’t look good for a while, but things opened up and he shot through between horses to get the win and a nice mile in 1:51.”
The 1:51 clocking was a personal best for Continual Hanover, who boosted his sophomore record to four wins and two thirds in nine starts for earnings of $42,000. The son of Bettors Delight-Current Hanover was a two-time Grassroots and one-time Gold Series winner at two, and has banked just over $150,000 for Darling, who purchased him from the 2014 Harrisburg Yearling Sale for $120,000.
Two races later Continual Hanover’s stablemate St Lads Moonwalk took his position behind the number 10 on the starting gate with Campbellville resident Mike Saftic in the race bike. The pair angled down into seventh as favourite Blaise MM Hanover powered out to a :26.3 quarter. Heading for the :54.4 half Saftic tipped St Lads Moonwalk off the rail behind Imsporty, but when that colt failed to advance Saftic was forced to move his charge three-wide and remained well off the rail going by the 1:23.3 three-quarters.
Pacing into a clear path coming off the final turn, St Lads Moonwalk made steady gains on Blaise Mm Hanover, eventually getting a head in front of the favourite at the wire for a 1:52.1 victory. Mayfield Duke was three and three-quarter lengths behind the duelling leaders in third.
“Moonwalk raced exceptionally well. He had to go three-wide around dead cover just past the half and then three-wide again around the final turn, and then he was dead game in the stretch to win it by a head,” said Darling. “He is one of the most honest horses I have ever had.”
The victory gives St Lads Moonwalk a record of three wins and three seconds in six Grassroots starts and top spot in the division standings with 225 points, five points ahead of his stablemate. Through 13 sophomore starts the son of Mach Three-Warrawee Cammy has seven wins, four seconds and one third for earnings of $78,360.
Last season St Lads Moonwalk scored four regular season Grassroots wins and then captured the Grassroots Championship. He has banked a total of $141,520 for Darling, who purchased the pacer from the 2014 Canadian Yearling Sale for $47,000.
The other Grassroots division was captured from the other end of the starting gate, as Bettor Memories got the job done from Post 1. With David Miller in the race bike, Bettor Memories sat third through the :26.4 quarter and :55.2 half and then took aim on the leaders heading for the 1:24.2 three-quarters. The fan favourite hit the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Spirit Shadow and Daylight Rush in 1:52.2.
Richard “Nifty” Norman conditions Bettor Memories for Gus Dovi of Hillsdale, New Jersey. The win was the Bettors Delight gelding’s first in Grassroots action and, added to a pair of runner-up efforts, gives him a spot in the Sept. 16 Semi-finals. Through 20 sophomore starts Bettor Memories has tallied six wins, five seconds and three thirds for earnings of $87,200.
The top 20 point earners will return to Mohawk Racetrack for a pair of Semi-finals on Sept. 16, with the top five finishers from each Semi-final advancing to the Sept. 24 Grassroots Championship.
On Saturday, three-year-old pacing colts of the Gold Series variety will battle in two $105,000 divisions at Mohawk Racetrack, part of a $2.4 million card at the Campbellville oval that features the $661,000 Metro Pace and $616,000 Canadian Pacing Derby. The sophomore pacing colts will compete in their last regular season Gold event in Races 2 and 3. Racing action gets under way at 7:30 p.m.
(OSS)