from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Hall of Fame driver Steve Condren proved again Tuesday night (Aug. 11) at Mohawk Racetrack why he’s a popular choice to drive young horses. Condren drove two of the six division winners in the $13,680 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event for 2-year-old trotting colts, including Georgie’s Pockets in race one. The victory propelled Georgie’s Pocket to the top of the divisional standings.

New Image Media photo

Thee Desperado remained undefeated in three lifetime starts after Steve Condren drove him to victory in his Grassroots division.

Condren’s other winner, Thee Desperado in race five, made a huge recovery from a break near the quarter pole to win by three-quarters of a length to remain undefeated in three lifetime starts for trainer Brent Belore.

Thee Desperado, a gelded son of Manofmanymissions out of Front Porch Swing that was a C$15,000 Forest City Yearling Sale purchase last October, is owned by Karen and Daniel Macintyre, Joshua McKibbin and Nancy Newport.

The gelding got away third, but broke stride briefly coming out of the first turn at the Campbellville track. Once back trotting, he tracked cover around the final turn before coming home in :28.2 to defeat JLS Bad Moon Risin. Innovative Force was third. The mile was 2:00.2.

Thee Desperado has now earned $20,610 lifetime and sits second in the division with 150 points behind Condren’s other winner, Georgie’s Pockets (175). The homebred son of Muscle Mass out of Striking Pockets, trained by Mel Turcotte for M T Pockets Stables, has won three of four starts, all in Grassroots competition, for career earnings of $24,300.

Tuesday night, Condren got away fourth with Georgie’s Pockets as Warrawee Rob cut the mile through fractions of :28 and :58.3. Condren came first over with his colt heading into the final turn and battled with Warrawee Rob through the three-quarter pole, reached in 1:28.4. Georgie’s Pockets came home in :29.1 to win by a head over Muscles For Life in 1:58, which tied for the fastest Grassroots performance of the night. Recreate was third.

The two victories helped Condren leap into the top 10 in the Lampman Cup standings ranking the best OSS drivers. The 58-year-old has won 6,775 races and more than C$113 million in his career.

Paul MacDonell piloted Tough Get Going to a 2:00 victory in the second division from post nine. Gonna Fly was second by 2-3/4 lengths. Dynamic Edge was third. Tough Get Going is a homebred gelded son of Kadabra out of One Tough Lass, owned by Mel Hartmann, David McDuffee and Herb Liverman. The trio also own Ontario-sired superstar trotting mare Bee A Magician, trained by Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman, the man who also trains Tough Get Going.

In race three, trainer Rick Zeron drove Money Mission to his second straight Grassroots score when he guided the son of Manofmanymissions-Kimberly Coe to a 2:00.1 victory that was 1-1/2 lengths better than Asterix. Manofmanyimages was third. Sent off as the even-money favorite, Money Mission increased his bankroll to $17,928 and his record to 2-1-0 in five starts for owners Zeron, Cool Cat Racing Inc. and Paul Marion.

Trainer/driver Curtis Clements pulled off a 24-1 upset in the fifth Grassroots test of the night when P C Foreign Affair defeated heavy favorite The Land Shark by two lengths in 1:58. Curtis and Amy Clements share ownership on the homebred son of Cornaro Dasolo-Promising Spark who won for the first time in three starts. P C Foreign Affair has earned $6,840 to date.

Lampman Cup leading driver Sylvain Filion drove Classical Son to victory in the final Grassroots division of the night. The son of Majestic Son out of Classical Strike edged race favorite Frankly Speaking by a neck in 2:00. First-time starter Weight Time was third. Stephane Larocque trains Classical Son for Bayama Farms Inc., Brian Paquet and the breeder, Winbak Farm.