by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, ON — Along with a handful of other talented three-year-old pacers, the Duane Marfisi-trained Grin Tin Tin put in a sharp qualifying mile on Friday morning at Mohawk.

Paying $18.50 to win during last year’s C$100,000 Metro Pace Consolation was just the beginning of a four race win streak which showed that the gelding had the speed to go with just about anyone in his class.

In the third dash this morning, the gelded son of Grinfromeartoear lined up at post six to battle the rest of the field of eight. That was the closest the rest of his rivals would get to him.

Jeff Renton Photo

Grin Tin Tin and trainer Duane Marfisi (left) after a victorious qualifier on May 14 at Mohawk.

In rein to Luc Ouellette (the leading driver on the WEG circuit), Grin Tin Tin plugged in fractions of :28, :57¹ and 1:26⁴ before coming home with a :27³ final panel, stopping the clock in 1:54². The final margin of victory in the gate-to-wire mile was one length in front of Steve Condren, who was aboard Bob McIntosh’s three-year-old Western Hanover colt Yankee Lariat.

“We’re aiming for the Provincial Cup (May 30 at Windsor Raceway),” said Marfisi, who in 1998 sent out Grinfromeartoear to his Metro Stakes victory. “He is Ontario-sired, but he is paid up to the dances, so hopefully he can dance.”

If his four race stretch from last August 30 to September 22 was any indication, this bay performer already has some dance moves of his own.

The streak began in the Metro Pace Consolation, but became impressive when the action shifted back to Campbellville.

During a division of the Champlain Stakes on September 6 at Mohawk, Grin Tin Tin came from sixth at the head of the lane to triumph by one and a quarter lengths in 1:54¹.

A week later in a division of the Nassagaweya Stakes, the Bart Glass and First Horse Farm-bred was three lengths in arrears to the leader at the three-quarter pole, yet blazed home to a five and three-quarter length tally in a sensational mark-lowering mile of 1:51⁴.

On September 22 at Mohawk, this time during an O.S.S. Gold Elimination, Marfisi’s student again finished up his mile strong, posting another five and three-quarter length victory in 1:56⁴ over a track which was rated three seconds off.

The streak was ended there, as Grin Tin Tin subsequently made breaks in the Gold Final on September 29, and in his elimination division of the Governor’s Cup on October 11.

That had been the last time Grin Tin Tin had put in a charted mile until qualifying May 7 at Mohawk, pacing his mile in 1:56³.

Out of the Dragon’s Lair mare Almahurst Bluebird, Grin Tin Tin is owned by a New York-based trio consisting of David Scharf, Thomas Kaufman and Steven Arnold. In 12 starts last year, Grin Tin Tin raced to a record of 5-1-0 and banked $143,578 in earnings.

“He wintered in Florida under the tutelage of Gary Baker,” said Marfisi. “Gary does most of David Scharf’s work and he (Grin Tin Tin) trained well. He is a lot more mature. I got him back a couple of weeks before he qualified (for the first time) and he was ready to go. I just acclimatized him and gave him a couple of training sessions and here we are.

“Last year we had difficulty with him seeing things and putting in steps. As opposed to him throwing his head ten times in a mile and putting in five steps in the mile, he is doing it maybe once in the mile. So he has matured, but he still has great high-speed. This horse is probably the fastest horse –– for a piece -– that I have ever seen.

“He got a little thicker (after wintering) and a little taller, not a whole lot, but he is built more like a Thoroughbred this horse. He’s kind of a freak. If you look at him he doesn’t look the part like a lot of good colts do, but he is built for speed and hopefully he has got enough to contend with the big boys.”

Before Grin Tin Tin graced the track for the third dash, Pans Culottes, Freedom Hanover, Invitro and Flashy Baron each paced miles during the second race.

Showing no ill effects of his break prior to the gate during last Sunday’s O.S.S. Gold Elimination at Flamboro, Flashy Baron and driver Rick Zeron went to the front after the :29 quarter pole and put in times of :59 and 1:27⁴ at the next two stations. Coming home in a :26¹ final quarter mile, the Herb Holland-trained son of Rambaran stopped the clock in 1:54, two and a half lengths in front of Camluck filly Invitro and driver Paul MacDonell. Brett Robinson pupil Freedom Hanover, who last year scored in his C$300,000 O.S.S. Super Final, finished third, four lengths back.

Pans Culottes, a The Panderosa filly who is conditioned by Ben Wallace, finished nine lengths back in fifth. A homebred of the Peter Pan Stables Inc., Pans Culottes was making her second qualifier back after winning her division of the Breeders Crown last fall at the Meadowlands.

In the opening dash, Condren drove Im A Lucky Cam, a three-year-old Camluck colt, to victory in 1:55³. Owned by Bob McIntosh and Al McIntosh Holdings Inc., Im A Lucky Cam was making his second qualifier back after recording four wins in nine starts as a two-year-old.

Flirting Lavec got it done in the fourth race of the morning, chasing down the leader in the lane to go away by three and a quarter lengths in 2:00². A three-year-old Mr Lavec filly, Flirting Lavec was in rein to Trevor Ritchie this morning and was making her first qualifier back this year after compiling a 4-1-3 record and banking $112,359 in 12 starts last year.

A six-year-old gelded chestnut trotter, Liberty One and driver Ted Jacobs got it done in the fifth race, going gate-to-wire in 1:59³. A son of Seasoned Pleasure, Liberty One has 12 career tallies and $94,225 on his card.

With Chris Christoforou in tow, Lifes A Beach N wired the field in the sixth race, posting fractions of :28³, :58¹ and 1:27, before stopping the clock in 1:54⁴. The seven-year-old gelded son of Sands A Flyin has 10 career scores and $95,547 in earnings.

Christoforou was at it again in the seventh, bringing Everso Special home in 1:56³, winning by three-quarters of a length. The four-year-old Real Artist mare has eight career victories and $16,130 in earnings.

Finally, but definitely not least, Condren wired the field in the eighth with Cash Hall in 1:57¹. A three-year-old Self Possessed trotting colt who was unbeaten in both of her starts as a two-year-old, Cash Hall reached the first three calls in :30⁴, 1:00 and 1:28⁴. Owned and trained by Bob McIntosh for partner CSX Stables, Cash Hall is paid into the inaugural Goodtimes Stakes (June 19 at Woodbine) and the Canadian Trotting Classic (September 25 at Mohawk).