When the three-year-old pacing colts arrive at Hiawatha Horse Park on Thursday evening, Jim Ainsworth trainee Bigmizndrstnding is going to find himself in a place that has become all too familiar.
"This is the third time we've raced him in the Grassroots and the second time we've drawn against Giddy Up Lucky," explains Sarnia resident Ainsworth. "And we've drawn outside him every time.
"He's a nice horse, but we're kind of racing for second money," the trainer adds. "I hate to say that, but I don't think we can beat him (Giddy Up Lucky)."
Undefeated in Grassroots action through two starts, Giddy Up Lucky heads into Thursday's contest off a 1:50.4 victory in overnight action at Mohawk Racetrack, and before that the colt was third in his elimination and fifth in the final of the Little Brown Jug won by Shadow Play in a world record time for two heats. Giddy Up Lucky will start from the advantageous Post 1 in Thursday's seventh race, while Bigmizndrstnding gets Post 3.
Bigmizndrstnding's bad luck in the Grassroots has extended beyond the post position draw. In his first appearance the No Pan Intended son got a tough trip around the outside of the Flamboro Downs half-mile on August 1 and faded to sixth, and in his second Grassroots outing, on September 9 at Georgian Downs, Bigmizndrstnding made a break at the start and finished seventh.
Aside from his lacklustre showing in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, Bigmizndrstnding has strung together an impressive season for owner Larry Ainsworth of Petrolia, ON and breeder William Boden of Vancouver, BC. From 24 starts the colt has accumulated eight wins, seven seconds and two thirds for earnings of $137,080.
"We've been fortunate with him. We had him ready early and he made some money in Toronto, and then he went out west and made some money out there," notes trainer Ainsworth. "We can't complain too much."
Bigmizndrstnding heads into Thursday's battle off an impressive victory against Grassroots competition at Mohawk Racetrack on October 3. The pacer rocked around the Campbellville, ON oval on the front end to a 1:52.3 victory, his second at Mohawk in two weeks. He logged a personal best 1:51.4 in a similar class at Mohawk on September 19.
"Biggie raced as good as he can his last start, so he's coming into the race sharp," says Ainsworth.
"He just raced last Friday so we'll just jog him light all week," the trainer continues. "He's actually better the less you do with him. We've tried training him in between races, but he responds better just off jogging."
While Bigmizndrstnding does not have a shot at the Grassroots post season, many of his peers will be heading to Hiawatha Horse Park ready to do battle for one of 16 spots in the October 16 Grassroots Semifinal round. In Race 7, Giddy Up Lucky and Castlecary Wildcat, who will start from Post 4, appear to have their spots in the post season sewn up, but the battle is still on for Keep In Control, Lyons Geoff, Round About Fame and Ram In The Night, who will start from Posts 5, 6, 7, and 8 respectively.
Post time for the final clash of the regular season is 7:00 p.m., with the three-year-old pacing colts ready to wage their Grassroots battle over the Hiawatha Horse Park oval in Races 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
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(OSS)