by OSS News

Gloucester, ON — Torches Star maintained her position atop the leaders in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division for 3-year-old trotting fillies with a comfortable victory in one of five C$18,000 divisions Sunday night (Aug. 24) at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

Kadabrina and Gord Brown grabbed control early in that split and hit the quarter in :28.3. She was passed by Wings Of Ballykeel before the :58.1 half. At that point Steve Condren pulled the right line on Torches Star and she took over confidently and hit the third marker in 1:27.4 and was an easy winner in 1:57.3 over Watch Her Dangle and Northern Secret.

Torches Star, who came into the contest with 105 points, was recording her second straight Grassroots victory. The second place filly before tonight’s races was Love Detective who also competed in this race but broke stride and finished last. Ben Wallace trains the daughter of Angus Hall for Brad Grant of Milton, Ontario.

Condren controlled the tempo in the fifth and final division with Lenny Mac through fractions of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.3 but was hauled down late by Wonderland Snow who scored in 1:57.2. Right there for place was Lenny Mac with Evolution of Dance third.

Bob McClure drove the winner, a daughter of Angus Hall bred and owned by Bob Key of Pennsylvania and trained by Ronald Parsons. It was the filly’s fourth win of the season.

In the first and fastest test Thisgirlisonfire cleared the lead by the opening quarter in 28.4 but was covered up by Audrey Pearl well before the half in :58.4. Missys Ga Ga pulled from third before the 1:27.3 third panel and took over control down the lane to win comfortably in 1:56.4.

Chelseas Chance finished well for Condren to take second while Capturethememory was third. It was the second win in eight starts this year for the daughter of Kadabra owned by Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc., of Montreal, Quebec and trained by Rene Dion.

The second division saw favorite Mystical Wishes take herself out early with a break. K D Bella and Steve Byron were in charge through the early going, hitting the first quarter in :28.3. She turned back Diamonds For Life to reach the half in :57.1 and the three-quarters in 1:26.1 and was first to the wire In 1:58.1. Jayport Princess was second with Muscle Girl edging out Diamonds For Life for third.

Dr. Peter Johnston of Cavan, Ontario, trains the homebred he co-owns with fellow breeder Watkins Equine of Newcastle. Unraced last year at two, the daughter of Pegasus Spur, a half-sister to C$520,000 winner Watkins, was recording her second win in 17 starts this year.

I Jasmin refused to give up the rail spot in the third division, hitting the first marker in :28.2. She continued on top for Denis St Pierre and trotted by the half in :58.2 and three-quarters in 1:27.1. She managed to get to the wire in front in 1:57.2 with a blanket finish of fillies a half-length behind her. Wawona and Dream Act took second and third spots. Ming Siu of Richmond, BC, bred and owns the winner, a daughter of Muscle Mass trained by Michael Bourgeois. This was her first sophomore win.

This group will meet next on Sept. 2 at Mohawk. To view the complete results from Sunday night’s races, please click here.

Seaforth breaks track record in Grassroots at Georgian Downs

Eight C$18,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots contests for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers were staged on Sunday night (Aug. 24) at Georgian Downs, and the last of those eight splits saw a new track record of 1:52.2 turned in by Seaforth.

Driven by Mike Saftic, Seaforth was up to grab the lead away from Pan Street USA (Randy Waples) after the :27.2 opening quarter. From there, Seaforth hit the half in :56 and the three-quarters in 1:23.4 before he paced a final quarter in :28.3 to seal the win and the record. Pan Street USA held second, beaten just over a length by the winner, and Rightinthekisser (Doug McNair) finished third.

The clocking lowered the previous rookie gelding pace record of 1:53.1 set earlier this year by Southwind Indy, and also is better than Sportskeeper’s colt record of 1:52.3 by a fifth of a second.

Eric Adams trains Seaforth, a No Pan Intended-Chocolate Truffle gelding, for owner/breeder Millar Farms. This was Seaforth’s second win from six starts, and he has now earned C$38,260. He’s the first foal out of the Western Hanover mare Chocolate Truffle, a half-sister to five six-figure earners, including multi-time Grassroots winner Rare Copy (Grinfromeartoear, C$158,213).

Driver Paul MacDonell also enjoyed a fine trip to Georgian Downs as he racked up three Grassroots wins, including a pair for trainer Jack Darling. Darling and MacDonell connected for the first time in the sixth flight with Moonwards Hanover (1:54) and then came right back in the next dash with York Seelster (1:54). MacDonell also prevailed in the fifth division with Pair Of Deuces (1:54.1).

Darling’s stable owns both Moonwards Hanover, a son of Sportswriter-Mouse Hanover and York Seelster, a Mach Three-Yankee Athena gelding. Darling purchased Moonwards Hanover, who broke his maiden in his fourth try and pushed his bankroll to C$21,500, for $35,000 at last year’s Standardbred Horse Sale. The Hanover Shoe Farms Inc.-bred is the third foal out of the Western Ideal mare Mouse Hanover, a half-sister to the likes of Mt Vernon Hanover (Rustler Hanover, C$623,067), a two-time OSS winner.

York Seelster, bred by Seelster Farms Inc. and sold for C$55,000 at the 2013 Forest City Yearling Sale, is now one for five in the win column to go with earnings of C$24,900. The fourth foal out of the Artsplace mare Yankee Athena, York Seelster is a half-brother to Yoselin Seelster (Shadow Play, C$109,432), an OSS Gold winner last season for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

Richard “Nifty” Norman trains Pair Of Deuces, MacDonell’s other winner, for owner/breeder Pinske Stables. The Badlands Hanover colt is now a two-time winner from five trips behind the gate, and he has stashed away C$19,500. He’s the first foal out of the Pinskes’ Dragon Again mare Pacific Dragonette, a sister to horses like Doubleshotascotch (C$683,773).

In other action Jeb (Phil Hudon, 1:54.3) and Thinkofagameplan (Randy Waples, 1:54.2) both posted their second victories in Grassroots competition this season.

Jeb, a colt by Camluck, is trained by James “Friday” Dean for owners Wilma and James MacKenzie. Jeb, who has banked C$26,160 to go with his pair of wins, was bred by Seawind Amg Stbs 2005 Inc. and was taken out of the 2013 Standardbred Horse Sale for $22,000. He’s the second foal out of the Western Hanover mare Keystone Treasure, a half-sister to a pair of former OSS standouts in Invitro (Camluck, C$2,383,597) and Bigtime Ball (Camluck, C$1,625,073).

Thinkofagameplan, a Ponder colt who scored his second win from five attempts and pushed his bankroll to C$27,660, is a homebred for McIntosh and Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. The winner is the second foal out of the Camluck mare Noshameinmygame. She was a Grassroots winner at both two and three.

The other Grassroots winners on Sunday night were:

• Midnight Play (Shadow Play), a 1:54.2 maiden-breaking winner for driver Jonathan Drury, trainer Bill Cass, and owner John Craig. Bred by Winbak Farm, he was sold for $72,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Midnight Play’s dam Midnight Art (Artsplace) is a half-sister to the likes of Manchine (C$257,361).
• Fightmaster (Art Colony, 1:55). He also won for the first time in his career with James MacDonald at the controls for trainer Ben Baillargeon and owners Jack Quinn and Michael McGuigan. Fightmaster was bred by Charlotte Ranch and Caneast Standards Inc. and fetched C$24,000 at the 2013 Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale. His dam is the Bo Knows Jate mare Ardor Chymes (C$497,707), a multiple-time OSS winner in her racing career.

The 2-year-old male pacers of the OSS Grassroots will be back in action next Sunday afternoon (Aug. 31) at Clinton Raceway. For full results and charts of Sunday night’s races at Georgian Downs, please click here.