by Sandra Snyder, for the Ontario Sire Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Dave Menary trainees swept both 3-year-old pacing colt Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series divisions at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday evening (Aug. 19).

In the first $101,850 split, fan favorite Windsong Jack took control heading for the halfway marker and cruised home to a two length victory in a personal best 1:49.4. Billy Davis, Jr. engineered the win, the Santanna Blue Chip gelding’s first of the season. OK Fantastic and Duc Dorleans rounded out the top three.

Menary conditions Windsong Jack for his father Larry Menary, Kenneth Ewen, Denis Breton and Geoffrey Lyons Mounds. The win boosted the gelding’s lifetime earnings to $422,408.

In the second division Gallant Seelster led the field through fractions of :26.1, :54.1 and 1:22.1, but Tarpon Hanover found a whole other gear around the final turn. Sprinting home in :26.3, Tarpon Hanover advanced from sixth to a 3-1/2 length victory in a personal best 1:50. Up Up And Out and Blissfull Bro finished second and third, respectively.

Jody Jamieson piloted Tarpon Hanover to his second win of the season for David Menary, Brad Gray, Bruce Norris and Denis Breton. The Badlands Hanover son now boasts a two season bankroll of $436,515.

In addition to the 3-year-old pacing colts, Mohawk also hosted five Grassroots divisions for the 3-year-old trotting fillies. I Like My Kaddy picked up her first provincial win with a come from behind sprint that gave her a half-length victory in 1:55.1. Paul MacDonell piloted the Kadabra daughter to the win, the quickest of the Grassroots divisions, for trainer Dean Nixon and owner Leo Racicot.

MacDonell also crafted two other winning steers to earn a Grassroots hat trick. The veteran reinsman teamed up with Armstead Kyra in the last $17,460 division to earn the filly her second straight Grassroots win in a personal best 1:55.3 and guided Wind Stroll to her first provincial victory in the fifth race, sticking a neck in front in of favorite Orderingin at the 1:55.4 finish.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Moms Apple Pie (1:57) and Legzy (1:55.4).

The 3-year-old trotting fillies make their fifth Grassroots start at Georgian Downs on Aug. 27, while the 3-year-old pacing colts head to Grand River Raceway for their last regular season Gold Series start on Aug. 28. Ontario Sires Stakes action continues at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday (Aug. 22) with the fifth Grassroots event for the 3-year-old trotting colts.

For complete results go to this link.

Pounce Hanover stalking fourth straight win Thursday

After enduring a winless freshman season, Pounce Hanover finally found his way to the victor’s circle on July 20, in his second sophomore start, and the trotting gelding seemed to find the experience to his liking.

Since that 1:57.4 score at Georgian Downs, Pounce Hanover has added two more to his resume, including a Grassroots win back at Georgian Downs on Aug. 13. Making their second Grassroots start at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday (Aug. 22), Pounce Hanover and trainer-driver Rick Zeron will be looking to stretch their win streak to four from post seven in the 11th race.

Zeron shares ownership of the Majestic Son gelding with The Brabant Stable and James Walker. The trotter recorded his 1:57.2 personal best at Mohawk on Aug. 1, winning a non-winners of two races contest.

Zeron and Pounce Hanover will face two other winners from the Georgian Downs Grassroots event, Doubledown Gass from post eight and Cabertoss from post 10.

The colts lining up behind the starting gate for the first $17,460 Grassroots division face a stiff test as Mid-Summer Challenge champion Flanagan Memory will be joining them at post one. Opting to skip the Gold Series event over Grand River Raceway’s half-mile oval, Flanagan Memory will make it tough for colts like Muscle On Broadway to score their second Grassroots victory.

Currently sitting tenth in the Grassroots points standings, Muscle On Broadway will be looking to pad his point total from post three in race one. The Muscle Mass colt is trained by Mike Keeling for P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. and Steve Organ.

The 3-year-old trotting colts will engage in their second last regular season Grassroots battle in races one, five, 10 and 11, with the first division rolling in behind the Mohawk Racetrack starting gate at 7:25 p.m.

For complete entries go to this link.