Dresden Raceway fans were treated to six impressive performances by Ontario's talented two-year-old trotting colts on Monday afternoon, highlighted by a 2:02.1 victory in the last $24,000 Grassroots division by Lend Rover
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With Canada's leading reinsman Jody Jamieson in the race bike, Lend Rover stalked fan favourite Scotty Doesnt Know through fractions of :30, 1:00 and 1:31.3 and then stepped to the outside and took aim on the leader. Advancing steadily around the final turn, Lend Rover was just a nose back when the colts turned for home and a sharp finishing kick propelled him to a one length victory in 2:02.1.
Former Gold Series starter Scotty Doesnt Know settled for second, with IM one half length back in third.
Windsor resident Bob McIntosh trains Lend Rover for his partners C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH and Michael Kohler of Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. Monday's victory was the first in five starts for the homebred son of Angus Hall and Lend A Hand.
Division leader Zorgwijk Knight maintained his flawless Grassroots record with a convincing nine length win in the second division. In rein to Doug Bowins, the Armbro Ricochet son cruised along on the front end to the 2:04 score over Alltheway Abra and Yorkster.
Zorgwijk Knight has captured his last five starts, including his elimination and the Aug. 29 final of the Balanced Image Stake at Hanover Raceway. Joe Pereira trains the winner of $69,030 for owner Percy Elkins of Campbellville.
First time Grassroots starter Seagram made a favourable impression in the first Grassroots division, accelerating away from Post 5 to a six length lead before the :30.4 opening quarter. The Amigo Hall colt maintained a sizeable lead through the 1:02 half and 1:33.1 three-quarters, and held off a late charge from favourite Fuel Cell to earn the one and one-quarter length victory in 2:04.4.
Blair Burgess trains and drives Seagram for breeders Robert Burgess of Campbellville and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton. The young trotter made his career debut in an Aug. 29 overnight at Flamboro Downs where he finished second in a 2:03.3 mile.
Trainer-driver Mark Steacy engineered a second Grassroots victory for Hava Kadabra in Race 6. Like his peers, Have Kadabra controlled the tempo from start to finish, sailing under the wire four lengths ahead of L M Expresso and Yagota Likehim in 2:04.2.
Steacy conditions Hava Kadabra for Landmark II Racing Stable of Elginburg, David Reid of Glenburnie, Stan Klemencic of Trenton and Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, AB. Through six starts the consistent son of Kadabra and Armbro Vixen has accumulated three wins, one second and two thirds for earnings of $41,385.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Bare Knuckles in 2:05.4 and Leslie Road in 2:04.1. The two-year-old trotting colts meet up for their fourth Grassroots engagement on Sept. 16 at Flamboro Downs.
Monday's freshman trotting colt event wrapped up Dresden Raceway's 2009 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which got under way in June with an outstanding Grassroots display by the three-year-old pacing colts.
The next stop on the OSS Grassroots trail for the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings is Flamboro Downs on September 16.
(OSS)
To view Monday’s harness racing results, click here.