by Sandra Snyder

Rexdale, ON — Ontario’s gifted three-year-old pacing colts return to Woodbine Racetrack on Monday night for their third Gold Series event.

With a stakes record in the Canadian Breeders Championship under their belt, the colts are primed for battle in two Gold eliminations with reigning Gold Final champion Armbro Brando highlighting the first C$60,431 contest from post one and Canadian Breeders champion Armbro Balmoral looking for a third straight victory from post two in the second. 15 other colts will have the top dogs in their sights on Monday, including Mike Wells trainee Grin Some More, who starts from post four in the first elimination.

“We could probably use a little bit of luck. I think we got in with maybe the tougher division,” says Wells. “But we seem to think he’s good enough to go with these colts. We figure if we keep going to the game, maybe one day he’ll make a final and get a check in it.”

Grin Some More has started in both Gold eliminations, but his fourth place finishes were not enough to advance to the C$130,000 finals at either Flamboro Downs (May 9) or Rideau Carleton Raceway (July 8).

Through 13 starts this season the gelding has a record of three wins and three thirds, and heads into Monday’s contest off a July 30 victory at Grand River Raceway.

“What my idea was, and I might be out thinking myself, instead of maybe going to the Canadian Breeders consolation was to go there (Grand River) and give him a confidence booster,” says the Puslinch resident. “And we tried something different with his equipment, trying to get him to leave the gate faster. It didn’t work, but Jim McClure drove him and he pulled him three deep at the three-quarters and then just shut him down and went a mile in 1:56¹.”

Wells and partners Louie Camara and Dawn Crossby, of Four Bucks N A Doe Farms in Puslinch, acquired Grin Some More at the 2002 Tattersalls Yearling Sale for the princely sum of $130,000. A half-brother to $997,902 winner French Panicure, Grin Some More has earned back $41,540 of his purchase price through his freshman and sophomore campaigns.

“He’s like a spoiled kid with lots of talent. He’s a grinder, but not a gritter,” says Wells, with a laugh. “I think he’s trying to preserve himself to be a racehorse.

“My partner had never had a Standardbred before this horse and he’s learning a lot of lessons.”

The Grinfromeartoear son and driver Jody Jamieson need a top five finish to advance to the Monday, August 16 Gold Final and Wells hopes the pacer is due for some racing luck this week.

“The last two times he’s raced back at Woodbine, both times he really didn’t get an opportunity to race,” says the horseman, who works full time as a real estate agent. “He can just leave enough to get into trouble it seems. Getting away in the middle of the pack, sometimes I’m not sure it’s a great thing at Woodbine. You either have to come first up or you get shuffled.”

Grin Some More and his peers will attempt to avoid the shuffle in races three and six on Woodbine Racetrack’s 7:40 p.m. program on Monday.

WOODBINE GOLD ELIMINATIONS — MONDAY, AUGUST 9

RACE 3 C$60,431
1 – Armbro Brando (Island Fantasy) P. MacDonell B. Pelling
2 – Mata Harry (Armbro Operative) R. Mayotte D. McCall
3 – Rocketboy (Pacific Rocket) K. Rose R. Auciello
4 – Grin Some More (Grinfromeartoear) J. Jamieson M. Wells
5 – D Essential (Apaches Fame) M. Saftic S. Forbes
6 – Grin Tin Tin (Grinfromeartoear) C. Christoforou D. Marfisi
7 – Freedom Hanover (Rustler Hanover) Ra. Waples Br. Robinson
8 – Flashy Baron (Rambaran) R. Zeron H. Holland

RACE 6 C$60,931
1 – The Drunkard (Bo Knows Jate) T.B.A. D. Arthur
2 – Armbro Balmoral (Camluck) M. Baillargeon B. Wallace
3 – Memory Book (Grinfromeartoear) P. MacDonell C. Ryder
4 – Ashland Heat (Run The Table) L. Ouellette R. Roloson
5 – O Narutac Magic (Island Fantasy) C. Christoforou G. McNair
6 – Cozy Xample (Camluck) Ra. Waples D. Marfisi
7 – L H Stryker (Apaches Fame) S. Condren K. Reibeling
8 – Reason To Smile (Grinfromeartoear) L. Ouellette S. Forbes
9 – Putasmileon (Grinfromeartoear) L. Ouellette D. Marfisi