Driver Doug McNair made his first of many visits to the winner's circle on Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Consolation Night with a homebred winner for his father, multiple Johnston Cup-winning trainer and this season's current point leader Gregg McNair.
The first of eight $25,000 consolations on Friday, Sept. 27 at Woodbine Mohawk Park was for the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings with favourite Captain Suzuki (pictured above) rallying from mid-pack to catch the front-striding Stonebridge Praise in the stretch and hold off the upset-minded Nickel And Dime in a three-across finish. The McNair trainee prevailed in a head decision to break his maiden in 1:58.4.
The son of Muscle Mass out of Lillian Mare has picked up cheques in all nine of his career starts, including a pair of third-place finishes earlier this month after dropping from the Gold Series to Grassroots competition. The gelding's Guelph, Ont. conditioner shares ownership with Dean Lockhart of Collingwood, Ont.
Doug McNair went on to pick up three more consolation victories during a five-win Friday night. He completed a sweep of the male trots with trainer Shane Arsenault's recently acquired sophomore gelding Northernchancellor (Muscle Mass-Honor Grad), who prevailed between foes by half a length in a career-best 1:57.1 mile, and then scored again in another close finish with Millar Farms' homebred two-year-old pacing filly Sugar Pie Honey (Bettors Delight-Kloof Street) taking a new mark of 1:53.4 for trainer Nick Gallucci.
McNair also came out a winner in the evening's last consolation for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings with trainer David Brown's homebred Why Wouldnt Ya (Bettors Delight-P L Hurricane) in a dead heat with driver Travis Cullen's homebred Bet The BB (All Bets Off-Sayitall BB). The winning time of 1:51.3 was a new lifetime mark for the pair. Brown shares ownership of Why Wouldnt Ya with Gary Sunderland. Bet The BB is trained by Cullen's mother Jodie.
Bet The BB's younger Big Jim brother Belmont Blazer was a consolation winner as well for the Cullens with a 3-3/4-length triumph in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3.
Driver Trevor Henry also doubled up in the consolations, sweeping the filly trots with two-year-old Green Glider (Green Manalishi S-Magical Glider) and three-year-old Billie Jean Queen (Royalty For Life-South Bay).
Green Glider built up a six-length lead by the top of the stretch and cruised home a 1:57.1 winner, knocking a tick off her lifetime mark, for trainer Scott McEneny and owner Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc.
A recent newcomer to the Lindsey Kerr stable, Billie Jeans Queen was a wire-to-wire winner, scoring by 3-1/2 lengths in a career-best clocking of 1:55.3. Kerr co-owns with Marc Adams, Mark Manherz and Todd Kerr.
The consolation for three-year-old filly pacers was won by Dale Towle's homebred Fancy Lettering (Stag Party-Goldies Bad Girl), who led all the way in a career-best 1:51.2 mile with Louis-Philippe Roy driving for trainer Chantal Mitchell.
The 2024 Grassroots season will wrap up on Saturday at Mohawk with the top point earners facing off in the eight divisional championships.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)