The only sire to produce multiple winners on the night was Kadabra as Pasadena Star, Chelseas Chance, and Crosbys Clam Bake won their respective Championships. Pasadena Star and Chelseas Chance were part of a double for trainer Bob McIntosh and driver Randy Waples. Brett Miller, reinsman of Milton Stakes winner Rocklamation, also won two Grassroots finals with Mattys Big Day and defending divisional champion Panpero Firpo.
Pasadena Star kicked off the Grassroots Championships with a 1:58 front-stepping score in the $50,000 event for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Waples sent the divisional leader from third to first after the :29 opening quarter and carved out middle splits of :59.1 and 1:28.2 en route to the three and three-quarter length victory for trainer Bob McIntosh. R Choochoo Charlie (Paul MacDonell) finished second and Warrawee Promesse (Wayne Henry) was third.
"He just had a great year," said Waples, who also drove the gelding's mother, $200,000-earner Pasadena Princess, during her career competing in the OSS ranks. "He was a really smart, talented colt right from the start. He's made it all the way through the year and he's just as strong now as when he started out and you've just got to give all the credit to Bob and his crew."
The homebred sired by Kadabra boasts six wins in eight starts and a bankroll of more than $100,000 for Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, Ont. and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio.
The heavy 1-5 favourite paid $2.50 to win.
Entering the three-year-old trotting filly Championship ranked ninth in the divisional point standings, Legzypropelled herself to a first-place finish in 1:56.3 for trainer Rob Fellows.
Driver Sylvain Filion sent the Amigo Hall-Sahalee filly to the lead from post six and carved out fractions of :27.4, :57.3, and 1:26 before holding off the late surge from first over Wind Stroll (Jody Jamieson) by half a length. Divisional leader Moms Apple Pie (Chris Christoforou) finished third.
Sent postward as the 8-5 favourite after finishing fourth in a Gold Series leg last week at Mohawk, Legzy paid $4.40 to win. After a $200,000-plus freshman campaign competing in the Gold ranks, Legzy earned her third win from 11 seasonal starts and boosted her sophomore earnings to $57,210.
"She's been very good," said Fellows in the winner's circle. "Last year everything went her way, all good luck. This year some tough luck, but she's a tough horse."
Legzy, who is a half-sister to OSS graduate Wilsonator ($496,049), is owned and bred by Michael Pozefsky of Saratoga Springs, New York and Edward Wilson of Seagrave, Ont.
Next up Lucky King romped to a 1:52.2 career-best equalling victory in the two-year-old pacing colt Championship for trainer Andrew McCabe.
Driven by James MacDonald, Lucky King left from post five and cleared to command at the :27.2 first quarter mark. He proceeded to lead the field to the half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:24.2 en route to victory lane. V I P Bayama (Sylvain Filion) followed from the pocket to place one and a half lengths behind and Shadow Place (Trevor Henry) advanced first over to show.
Lucky King, a runner-up in the divisional point standings entering the final, paid $6.50 to win as the 2-1 second choice to fourth-place finisher Prince Clyde (Scott Zeron).
"He hasn't really slowed up at all," noted McCabe after the win. "He's been consistent the whole way through and we were expecting a good race tonight out of him and we got one."
Purchased for $14,000 at the Harrisburg Sale as a yearling, the Camluck-Red Carpet Queen colt has won four of his 10 races while banking $59,512 in purses for Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Guelph-Eramosa, Ont. and Leonard Christopher of Acton, Ont.
Lucky King is a half-brother to Red Carpet Dude ($160,330), an OSS graduate McCabe campaigned during his career.
"We had our mind set going to the sales we were going to put a couple of bids on him and we got him, and at a value price at that, and it has really panned out."
Trainer Bob McIntosh and driver Randy Waples doubled up in the Championships as leading two-year-old trotting filly Chelseas Chance capped off her Grassroots season with a another triumph.
Supreme Monarch (Garrett Whelan) established the early lead through a :29.1 first quarter, but a three-wide leaving Erin Hall (Jody Jamieson) pressed on to clear into the backstretch. Bit A Magic (Trevor Henry) then moved up to challenge the new leader from fourth and edged by at the :58.4 half. Supreme Monarch was back out and driving during the third panel with Chelseas Chance on her back. Bit A Magic and Supreme Monarch battled head-to-head by three-quarters in 1:28.2 before Chelseas Chance swept off cover to win going away in 1:59.2. Supreme Monarch finished three and three-quarter lengths behind in second and Erin Hall was third.
Chelseas Chance paid $4 to win as the even-money favourite.
Waples was reunited with the filly for the first time since steering her to a victory in baby races back in June.
"She won her baby race and she was perfect-gaited and as smart as can be so I had a feelin