Lukas Rossi wrapped up an undefeated Grassroots season with a track record equaling performance in the two-year-old trotting colt Championship at Flamboro Downs on Friday evening.
Burlington resident Randy Fritz eased the Roadshow Hall son away from Post 1, sat third through the early going, and then rolled out to the front heading for the three-quarter mark. Once he shifted into gear, Lukas Rossi simply powered away from his peers to the three and three-quarter length victory in a smart 1:59.3.
"I was a little concerned leaving again, he's just a little funny out of there, but it was the perfect trip," said trainer Ron O'Neill after the race. "Perfect, absolutely perfect."
The win marked Lukas Rossi's fifth visit to the winner's circle in six starts, and his fourth in Grassroots action, including an effortless win in last week's Semifinal. The 1:59.3 clocking matched the two-year-old trotting colt track record set by Ontario Sires Stakes competitor Australian Stock in 2006, and was a new personal best for Lukas Rossi, who also matched the track record at Hiawatha Horse Park in his Sept. 27 Grassroots division.
P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. of Cambridge and Nancy Stephens of Woodstock share ownership on the gelding with O'Neill, and the horseman said the group will be sitting down this week to decide whether to bring Lukas Rossi's career to a halt or to give him one test against the Gold Series colts before wrapping things up.
"We'll talk it over see what they think - should we shut him down, or go should we go for one more and see what happens," said the Cambridge resident.
"I'm hoping we're doing the right thing in the way we went; we were teaching him how to race," added the horseman. "We kind of knew the speed was there and everything, but the manners part, you've got to work on that. Hopefully this works out."
In the two-year-old colt pace, Fast Pay (Aaron Byron), who got away fifth, made a gutsy three-wide move at the third quarter station and sprinted home in :27.2 for the 1:54.2 win by eight and a half lengths.
Ponder Seelster (Scott Coulter) was the runner-up and the pacesetter, Sterling Chris (Anthony MacDonald) settled for third.
The son of Western Terror, who was second in his elimination, picked up his second lifetime win, increasing his earnings to $58,916 for trainer and co-owner David Menary and Steve Heimbecker of Waterloo, Ont.
Trainer Philip Coole says Windsun Pride, the three-year-old colt trot champion, could not be more laid back. The Puslinch resident had to wake the gelding from his afternoon nap to ship him to Flamboro on Friday.
"This afternoon to go and race, I had to wake him up," said Coole with a laugh. "If a horse is sleeping or laying down, I never wake them up, but it was like 3:30 p.m. and we were supposed to leave at 3:30 p.m., and he's still sleeping. He didn't even want to get up then."
Once race time rolled around, the Angus Hall son showed no sign of drowsiness as driver Dave Wall fired him to the front from Post 4 and never looked back. The pair never faced a challenger and cruised under the wire four lengths the best in 1:57.
Through six regular season Grassroots starts the ultra-consistent youngster scored three wins and three seconds to finish at the top of the division standings, then rocked to an eight length victory in the Semifinal round last week. Coole shares ownership on Windsun Pride with Stoney Island Stable of Kincardine and Dr. Peter Johnston of Peterborough, and conditioned the Angus Hall son to a record of 10 wins and three seconds in 20 stars for earnings of $127,750.
"It's been a great ride this year," said the trainer. "He got very lucky, you know, post positions and everything else. Everything worked out in his favour."
In the three-year-old colt pace, Legal Litigator also turned in a wire-to-wire score for trainer Paul Taylor and owner Robert Hamather of Exeter, Ont.
In rein to Trevor Henry, the Camluck gelding used the inside post position to his advantage, shooting to the lead right from the get-go. Legal Litigator laid down panels of :27, :55.4 and 1:24.3 before putting in a :29.1 final effort to win in 1:53.4 by two lengths.
Auctioneer (Scott Coulter) finished second and Castlecary Wildcat (Jody Jamieson) closed well for third.
Legal Litigator, who finished third in his elimination, picked up his seventh lifetime win and boosted his bankroll to $142,524.
The two-year-old filly trot saw elimination winner Stonebridge Marita (Bill O'Donnell) fire out from Post 1. The odds-on favourite plowed through panels of 29.3 and 1:01 before feeling slight pressure from the first-over challenger Mind Over Money (Stuart Sowerby) through a 1:31.1 third quarter, but Stonebridge Marita kicked away by almost three lengths for the win in 2:01.1.
Mapley (Dave Boughton) stayed for second and Mind Over Money nabbed the show spot.
The daughter of Angus Hall is a three-time winner, who upped her earnings to $62,916 for trainer Mark Steacy and owners Angie Stiller of Arva, Ont. and Robert Kauffman of New Albany, Ohio.
With Brad Forward at the reins, Tomorrowpan prevailed in the two-year-old filly pace for trainer Bob McIntosh and the Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, Ohio.
While Not Enough (Jason Brewer) took command of the field, Tomorrowpan was shuffled back to fifth, but by the third quarter mark she set her eyes on the prize and closed in on the pacesetter with a :28 final quarter to win in 1:56.2 by three-quarters of a length.
Not Enough stayed for second and Star Of Show (Keith Oliver) finished third.
The No Pan Intended miss picked up her fifth consecutive OSS victory giving her a total of seven lifetime wins and $88,540 in earnings.
In the three-year-old filly trot, Pleasure Girls, who finished second in her elimination, prevailed using front-end tactics in rein to Jody Jamieson.
Although Dornello (Trevor Ritchie) powered off the gate from Post 3, Pleasure Girls, who is trained and owned in part by Richard Moreau, posted panels of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:29.3 en route to victory lane in a time of 1:59.
"I started her up a little bit to get up close with Trevor (Ritchie), I didn't want him to get away with too easy fractions, and it worked out that I got around him and kept rolling with pretty good fractions," said Jamieson, referring to fan favourites Trevor Ritchie and Dornello. "She had enough left in the tank to come home in :29.2 and win."
The Dr Donerail filly picked up her ninth career win and lifted her total purse earnings to $147,300 for owners 2095589 Ontario Inc. of Toronto, Ont. and Jean Dessureault of Candiac, Que.
All Accounted For used her signature three-wide move at the third quarter pole and sprinted home in :29.3 to win the three-year-old filly pace in 1:54 with Don McElroy in tow.
St Lads Seraph (Jason Brewer) was second and Random Dreamer (Mike Langdon) came on for third.
The Camluck filly notched her sixth lifetime score and lifted her bankroll to $342,851 for the Robert McIntosh Stables of Windsor, Paul Ysebaert of Mooretown, Ont. and the C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio.
To view Friday's results, click here.
(With files from OSS)