Driver Bob McClure and trainer Keith Jones teamed up to sweep Wednesday evening's (July 18) Ontario Sires Stakes Gold events for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings at Grand River Raceway, fashioning upsets with both Henderson Seelster ($38.80) and Joey Bats ($19.40).
In the first of two Gold splits (race two), carrying a purse of $94,800, McClure left from post 3 with Henderson Seelster and settled the son of Holiday Road behind pole-sitting pacesetter Sicario (Stephen Byron) to track fractions of :28, :58.3 and 1:28.1. As first-over challenger Jula Downton (Louis-Philippe Roy) broke stride on the final turn and fours-on favourite Run Director (Sylvain Filion) was pointed three-wide to challenge, Henderson Seelster had room to split rivals turning for home.
Henderson Seelster had no trouble reeling in Sicario and was driven out to keep Run Director 1-1/4 lengths at bay for a 1:57.2 victory. Barney Mac (Chris Christoforou) rallied up the pegs to finish third.
For Douglas McCarthy's Henderson Seelster, the win was the fourth of his career and his first stakes win since capturing the $44,600 Balanced Image at Hanover Raceway in his two-year-old campaign.
The same owner, trainer and driver teamed up with Joey Bats in the $95,600 second division (race six), and the gelded son of Holiday Road thwarted another odds-on favourite in Stormont Ventnor en route to his fourth career win.
Joey Bats sprinted to the lead on the first turn, but was strung out by Delcrest Holiday (Byron) through a :28.3 first quarter. As the pace slowed, Phil Hudon got Stormont Ventnor geared up second-over, but Joey Bats maintained control of the tempo through middle splits of 1:00 and 1:29.2. On approach to the far turn, first-over challenger Tinas Majesty (Dagfin Henriksen) stalled after offering mild pressure, and a subsequent three-wide bid from Stormont Ventnor came up short by two lengths as Joey Bats edged away off the home turn to win in 1:58. Winning American (Trevor Henry) emerged out of traffic to take third.
A bevy of two-year-old pacing fillies comprised much of the undercard action, with Doug McNair teaming up with Bens Jenna ($2.60), Kylie Seelster ($16.50) and Sports Flix ($13.60) to take three of seven Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots events. McClure completed a stakes hat trick with Royalty Again ($27.50), while Better Now ($33.50, Filion), Jessicas Legacy ($4.10, Jonathan Drury) and Twin B Friendly ($6.80, Paul MacDonell) rounded out the septet of victorious fillies.
In the evening's fifth race, an $18,800 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event for two-year-old pacing fillies, Chocolatemilktoast fell on the final turn and unseated driver Louis-Philippe Roy. The filly walked off the track under her own power, and a conscious Roy was taken to hospital, complaining of knee pain.
Stellenbosch ($4.50, Doug Brown) was a 4-1/4 length winner in 1:55 in the evening's $8,500 Preferred 3 for distaff pacers, while Yonkers invader Katch Kanna ($5.30) gave Bob McClure his fourth driving win on the night with a 1:59 win in the $8,500 Preferred 3 for trotters.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Grand River Raceway.