Ontario's talented two-year-old pacing colts will liven up the Labour Day Monday card at Grand River Raceway as they compete for a total of $120,000 in
Grassroots purse money.
Encore Seelster makes his debut in the provincial program on Monday and trainer Jim Ritchie is hoping the Western Maverick son can drop as many seconds off his personal best as he did between Aug. 21 and Aug. 28. In his career debut at the Elora oval the colt was second in 2:00, and then last weekend he toured the Grand River half-mile in 1:58.3 to record his first victory.
"This is only the third start of his life coming up," notes the Grand Valley resident. "If he can drop a little more every time; hopefully he'll get better and better."
Stabled just 20 minutes from Grand River, Encore Seelster has made numerous visits to his local oval, training there through the spring, schooling behind the gate, and qualifying twice before his Aug. 21 debut. Ritchie even paid the young pacer into the track's signature event, the Battle of Waterloo for two-year-old pacing colts that goes postward on their popular Industry Day card.
"I paid him into the Battle of Waterloo, he was training so good," recalls the horseman, who shares ownership on Encore Seelster with his brother Paul Ritchie of Orangeville and Murray Cox of Rockwood. "But he stalled around 2:20 a bit, so I took my time with him. He's coming good now."
The trainer-driver suffered a broken leg in an accident at Grand River on June 2, so his brother Paul and the colt's caretaker Coralee Bell put the finishing touches on Encore Seelster. Dave Boughton has driven the youngster in each of his starts, and will be back in the race bike for Monday's contest.
"Dave Boughton knows him pretty good. He's schooled him twice, qualified him twice and raced him twice," says Ritchie, who is slowly returning to the race bike. "I was thinking about driving him myself, but I decided to leave it the way it is. Why change something that's working good?"
The second foal of $110,216 winner Espirit Seelster, who was a Grassroots winner at three, Encore Seelster was a $16,000 purchase from last fall's Forest City Yearling Sale. Ritchie says the good looking youngster was easy to break, but never over exerted himself.
"He's very smart, and awful lazy, even now," notes Ritchie. "He likes to eat, he's probably 100 pounds too fat right now.
"The girl that works for me, Coralee, he's her favourite horse in the whole barn, so he's pretty spoiled," adds the trainer.
Boughton will steer the hefty young pacer from Post 2 in Monday's sixth race, facing a talent laden field that includes two Battle of Waterloo starters and one Grassroots winner. All of Encore Seelster's owners will be on hand for the holiday Monday contest, and Ritchie is just hoping the colt can get in on the action.
"I asked Dave after his last start if I should put him in," relates the trainer. "And he said he deserves a shot, so we did."
Post time for Grand River Raceway's Monday evening program is 7 p.m., with the two-year-old pacing colts facing off in Races 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7.
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To view Monday’s harness racing entries, click here.