from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Ontario’s talented 2-year-olds put on an impressive show at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening (Sept. 17) as the top 20 point earners in each division were whittled down to 10 in Sires Stakes Grassroots semi-final action.

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Doug McNair and trotting colt Muscles For Life kicked off the 2-year-old Grassroots semi-finals at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening, circling the Campbellville oval in 1:57.3.

Muscles For Life kicked off the Ontario Sires Stakes post season, sprinting down the stretch to a 1:57.3 personal best in the first trotting colt semi-final. The Muscle Mass-Serenity Girl son and driver Doug McNair bested Money Mission and United BI by 2-3/4 lengths to secure their spot in next weekend’s Grassroots championship.

“He was a little late getting started, he made a few mistakes and then we had to put the hobbles on him,” said trainer Gregg McNair about Muscles For Life, who finished the regular season with one win, one second, one fourth and one eighth in four outings. “He’s raced pretty good every time. He’s got a lot of trot.

“He got a good trip, but he’s got fairly good talent,” added McNair, who trains Muscles For Life for Jarold Hawks.

Fourth and fifth-place finishers Cool Creek Victory and Muscle Time also advanced to the Sept. 26 Grassroots championship.

The first trotting filly semi-final was the first of three captured by Trevor Henry, who is in a fight for top spot in the Ontario Sires Stakes driver standings with Sylvain Filion. Henry teamed Myretirementticket to a 1:57.1 personal best ahead of fan favorite and division point leader Magical Steph and Jangone. Myretirementticket hit the wire a quarter-length ahead of her rivals.

“She’s getting better every week,” said Henry. “She does everything right, she’s a sweetheart to drive.”

Henry engineered the win for Eli Wagler who bred, owns and trains the daughter of Cornaro Dasolo-Shine Again. Very Classy and Dayliner rounded out the qualifiers for the championship.

Henry faces a tough choice for the championship, as he also piloted the winner of the second trotting filly division. Traviata cruised home a 4-1/2 length winner, matching Myretirementticket’s 1:57.1 clocking. The fan favorite bested Mariana, Liseberg, Malia and Tough Affair.

“She’s pretty nice too, it’s going to be tough to be pick,” said the reinsman, who engineered the Kadabra-Nirvana Blue Chip daughter’s fourth straight victory for trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman and Melvin Hartman.

Henry’s third win came with pacing filly St Lads Smokin Hot, who powered down the stretch to a 1:53.1 personal best. Noone To Depend On finished 1-1/4 lengths back in second, favorite and division point leader Sports Expert was third, with Selling The Dream and Miss Print completing the top five.

Richard Moreau trains St Lads Smokin Hot for Holland Racing Stable. The No Pan Intended-Hot Butter daughter finished the regular season with a pair of wins — both over half-mile ovals — two thirds and one sixth in five starts.

Gerries Sport captured the first pacing colt semi-final with a 1:53 personal best for trainer Robert Robinson and owner-breeder Gerrie Tucker. The Mach Three-Perfect Sport son and driver Rick Zeron controlled the tempo for much of the race and cruised home 3-1/4 length winners over Print Media, Blue Zombie, Bingo Ingo, and division point leader St Lads Moonwalk.

“He’s a nice little colt,” said Zeron. “He had a little confusion when we first started going with him so we were pretty conservative with him and let him pace into where he wanted to be to get his form going, and as the summer went on he’s gotten smarter and better.”

Jack Moiseyev piloted two semi-final winners, starting with pacing filly Mayhem Seelster in race eight. The fan favorites pressed the pace in the outer lane through much of the mile before getting up for a half-length win in a personal best 1:53. Im In Luv, Buttermilk Hanover, pacesetter Southwind Shania and No Shadows completed the top five.

Moiseyev engineered the win for trainer Tony O’Sullivan and owner Domenic Chiaravalle. The Mach Three-Macapelo Rose miss was a two-time winner and one-time runner-up in three regular season Grassroots starts.

One race later Moiseyev was back in the winner’s circle with the only division point leader to add a semi-final win to their resume. Trotting colt Georgie’s Pockets sprinted from seventh to first through the final quarter, reaching the finish in 1:58.4, 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Dynamic Edge and Willyorwonthe. Gonna Fly and Asterix finished fourth and fifth.

Mike Vanderkemp conditions Georgies Pockets for owner-breeder M T Pockets Stables. In five regular season starts the Muscle Mass-Striking Pockets son posted an impressive record of three wins and two seconds to top the freshman trotting colt division.

The last of the Grassroots semi-final trophies went home with Kokanee Seelster, who prevailed in the second pacing colt split. The Camluck-Kiddie Cocktail colt and driver Phil Hudon controlled the tempo from start to finish, reaching the wire 1-1/2 lengths ahead of Tango Star in 1:53. Favorite King Of Sports was third, just ahead of Azul Pool and Only Half Bad.

Anthony Montini trains Kokanee Seelster for Ming Siu and Edmund Lui. The pacer posted two wins and one second in three regular season Grassroots starts.

The top five finishers from each semi-final will now begin preparations for next Saturday’s (Sept. 26) C$50,000 Grassroots championships. They will be joined by their 3-year-old peers, who will wage their semi-final battles at Mohawk on Friday (Sept. 18). The program gets underway at 7:25 p.m.