Scott Coulter piloted a pair of Sue Marie Gangell trainees to victory at Grand River Raceway on Wednesday evening and catapulted both three-year-old trotters into the top 20 in the final Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event of the regular season
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Coulter and Gangell joined forces for the first time in the second $24,000 Grassroots division, and the reinsman chose to send Reelie straight to the front from Post 4. Racing over a rain-soaked surface rated two seconds slower than normal, the Duke Of York son rolled through fractions of :29, :59.2, and 1:30 and then dug hard in the stretch to hang on for a half length victory in 2:02.2. Tymal Colossus and B C Lulu rounded out the top three.
Simcoe, Ont. resident Gangell shares ownership of Reelie with John Devito of Whitestone, New York. The partners purchased the colt from the Henry Stable of Arthur, Ont. on Sept. 7 and have quickly begun to recoup their initial investment. With a bit of luck the colt will also see his Grassroots campaign extended into the post season. Wednesday’s victory puts Reelie in a four-way tie for the 20th, and last, spot on the gate in the Sept. 24 Semifinal round.
In the final division Coulter used off-the-pace tactics to advance Tymal Recap from the trailing Post 9 into the Grassroots winner’s circle, rolling up the outside to a two and one-half length win in 2:00.3. Chuckalo Caden turned his pocket trip into a second-place cheque, leaving pacesetter Edit to settle for third.
Gangell and Devito also share ownership of Tymal Recap, another colt they purchased from the Henry Stable in mid-August. The son of Ken Warkentin had two fifths in Grassroots action prior to Wednesday’s triumph, giving him 60 points and a secure spot in the Semifinals.
Count Strike leapt back to the top of the division standings with a gate-to-wire victory in the third Grassroots division. The Striking Sahbra son and driver Bruce Richardson reeled off fractions of :30.2, 1:02.2, and 1:32.2 before sailing under the wire two lengths ahead of Big Strike and Max Money in 2:02.2.
The chestnut son of Striking Sahbra has tallied an impressive sophomore record of 12 wins, two seconds and one third in 18 starts. Competing in all six regular season Grassroots events, the colt picked up five trophies and one third-place cheque for owners Harness Racing Canada 12 of Mississauga, Ont., Wayne Preszcator of Exeter, Ont., who also trains the colt, Shawn Dixon of London, Ont., and William Seplowe of Westbury, New York. Count Strike heads into next week’s Semifinal with 262 points, 37 more than rival Frill Seeker, who skipped Wednesday’s event.
The other division went to Here Comes Numbers, who overcame the outside Post 8 to score the 2:01 victory over Herecomesthechief and Psychic Turmoil. Anthony MacDonald crafted the one and one-quarter length victory for trainer John Drennan and DDT Stable of Burlington, Ont. While his fifth on the season, Wednesday’s win was Here Comes Numbers’ first win in Grassroots action and bumped his point tally to 112.
The top 20 point earners will now begin their preparations for the $30,000 Semifinals which go postward at Mohawk Racetrack on Sept. 24. The top five finishers from each Semifinal will advance to the $100,000 Grassroots Championship at Mohawk on Oct. 1.
For results from Wednesday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Grand River Raceway.
(OSS)