The top point earning two-year-olds in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots program shipped in to Campbellville's Mohawk Racetrack on Friday night for the season’s semifinal round
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Driver Jody Jamieson dominated the eight $30,000 Grassroots semifinals as he reined home four winners, including Tymal Oh So Nice, Ill Be There, Palm Pilot and Huxley. The resident of Moffat, Ont. also picked up two more victories on the 13-race card to push his nightly win total to six.
“It is an amazing feat because the best drivers in Canada are here [on the Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit] and arguably the best drivers in the world are here,” Jamieson told WEG's communications department after his big night. “We have the greatest meet in the world here and to do it once, let alone three times, I feel amazing about it.
“It is really hard to [win six races], but everybody knows how much you rely on the horse flesh,” added the two-time O'Brien Award winner, who is quickly approaching the 6,000 career win mark. “If I didn’t have the horse flesh to drive it wouldn’t have mattered.”
The top five finishers from each event will advance to their divisional $100,000 Grassroots Championships, set for October 1.
Trot Insider has provided updates on the semifinal action below.
Trotting Fillies
Majestic Taglet ($12.10) and driver Mario Charron kicked off the semifinal action over a sloppy track as they rallied three-wide off second over cover at the third quarter mark and held off Barbie And Ken in the stretch for the half-length score. The 1:59.1 winning time was a new lifetime mark for the Majestic Son miss. Favourite Dayplanner, the divisional leader who was perfect in her previous four OSS starts, finished third. Random Choice and Margarita De Vie came in fourth and fifth.
Majestic Taglet, who recorded two wins, one second and one third in her four OSS outings this season, is trained by Claude Beausoleil. She was a $6,000 purchase at the Canadian Yearling Sale for Quebec owners Roland Rocco and Benoit Gendron.
With the track upgraded to ‘good’ for the second semifinal event, Post 9 starter Can I Say ($9.20) advanced first over from the backfield past the half-mile marker and claimed the top spot while leader Uncommon Grace broke stride. The Fourth And One daughter then kicked away down the stretch to win in a career-best 1:57.2 by over seven lengths. She was followed by Thundering Ovation, Striking Forever, Joys Mutinee and Stary Ives.
Garret Whelan trains and drives the homebred filly, who won her last three OSS starts, for owners Terry and Clarence Devos of Langton, Ont., and James Whelan of Troy, Ont.
Pacing Colts
Secretsoftheknight ($20.40) and driver Doug McNair wired the first field of pacing colts in a career-best time of 1:53.3. Pocket-sitter Life Signature followed one and a half lengths behind in second and favourite In Commando was third. Who Doesnt and Retail rounded out the top five finishers.
The son of Mach Three is trained by Doug’s father, Gregg. He began the year among the Gold colts before recording one win, three seconds and one fourth place finish in five Grassroots starts during the regular season. The $50,000 Lexington Select Sale purchase is owned by Tony Lawrence of Hanover, Ont., Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke, Ont., John Newell of Waterloo, Ont., and Graham Hopkins of Chesley, Ont.
With Jamieson picking up the catch-drive, Huxley ($3.70) made a backstretch brush to take command of the field, but then took a backseat to quick-striding Red Carpet Dude. Rocky Regal advanced on the outside and took over command in the stretch, but Jamieson edged out his rivals for the three-quarter length victory in 1:55 flat. Iwilldowhatido got up for second with True To Mach right there in third. Rocky Regal and Red Carpet Dude were fourth and fifth.
Divisional leader R Gauwitz Hanover, who was undefeated in his five Grassroots starts, trailed the seven-horse field and ended up sixth.
After finishing second in his first Grassroots start, the winning son of Modern never missed a beat in his last three events of the regular season. Huxley is trained by David Menary for owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, both of Pennsylvania.
Trotting Colts
Post 10 was no problem for Tymal Oh So Nice ($12.10), as he was positioned third early on by Jamieson and came on in deep stretch to take a new mark of 1:58.4. Ballykeel Ulysses inherited second place honours when Northern Victory was bumped from the runner-up spot back to fourth for causing interference in the stretch when attempting to come out of the pocket. Mutinyonthebounty inherited third after being interfered with. A placing also occurred involving the final spot. Northern Kingdom inherited fifth as P L Fantastic was bumped one spot back for a lapped on break in the stretch.
The Striking Sahbra colt was plucked from the Forest City Sale for $25,000 by trainer Carl Jamieson and his partners, Thomas Kyron of Toronto, Douglas Good of Chatham, Ont., and Brian Paquet of Quebec. After starting his season among the Gold colts, Tymal Oh So Nice went on to record one win, one second and one third in four regular season Grassroots starts.
Team Jamieson also captured the second semifinal for trotting colts with Ill Be There ($6.10). The Kadabra colt advanced first over from third past the half-mile mark and struck the front in the stretch while the popular leader, Grandin Road, ran into road trouble. Ill Be There held off a rallying Mikey Hanover by a neck for the career-best 1:58.2 triumph. Oaklea Umpire finished just a half-length behind in third while House Money and San Pietro picked up the final paycheques. Divisional leader Strike The Cheque finished eighth.
Trainer Carl Jamieson co-owns Ill Be There, who earned two Grassroots trophies after starting in three events, with Kyron.
Pacing Fillies
Driven by Paul MacDonell, Lyons Luck ($32.80) sat third at the rail for most of the mile before flying home for the 1:57.1 victory in the first semifinal for pacing fillies. Memumsnotnice finished two and a half lengths behind with favourite Katys Jet third. Premier Indigo and Stonebridge Sassy were fourth and fifth respectively.
The Camluck princess is trained by James Ciaran Morrison and owned by Joseph Lyons Mound of Burford, Ont. The $52,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase hit the board in all four of her Grassroots starts this season with one win, one second and two thirds.
Jamieson returned to the winner's circle after guiding Palm Patrol ($11.40) to a 1:55.4 triumph in the other pacing filly semifinal. The daughter of Kadabra was flushed first up at the half and took over command while divisional leader Eat Me Up advanced up alongside off her cover. Palm Patrol managed to hold off that foe by a neck for the victory while Regally Blonde came in third. Machintosh and 100-1 shot Almost Midnight finished fourth and fifth.
The Rene Laarman-trained miss went two-for-three in the regular season, finishing third in her other start. She is owned and bred by Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein, Ont.
Semifinal action continues at the Campbellville oval on Saturday night as the three-year-olds compete for their shot at a Grassroots title.
For results from Friday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.