A four-pack of OSS Grassroots divisions were contested Thursday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, and the stars of the show for the event were two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Bet On Brett captured the opening division in 1:54.4 for driver Mike Saftic, who carved out panels of :27.2, :57.3 and 1:27 before finishing off the competition with a :27.4 closing quarter. Streakavana was a fast-closing second, with Mach Déjà Vu finishing third in the $18,000 affair.
Trainer Marcel Barrieau co-owns the $80,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale with partners Conrad Leber and Gestion Mastel Inc. The colt is a half-brother to Rub N Tug (1:50.3 - $488,699) and Della Cruise (1:50.3 - $252,999).
Play For Gold went to the front and didn’t look back en route to a 1:54.3 score in the second division. Mario Baillargeon hustled the rookie to the lead and after slicing out splits of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26.1 the son of Shadow Play-Full Of Gold sprinted home in :28.2 to fend off race favourite Aston Hill Dave. Third prize went to Silverinyourpocket.
Jacques Dupont trains the freshman, who was a $20,000 purchase from the 2015 Lexington Select Yearling Sale, for 9099 3833 Quebec Inc, Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc and Gestion C Levesque 2005inc. The pacer is a half-brother to Gold Rocks (1:50.4 - $253,420) and Win The Gold (1:52 - $146,568).
Heavily favoured Mc Mach was a handy winner in his $18,000 division for driver Paul MacDonell and trainer Bob McIntosh. MacDonell took a brief two-hole tuck with the homebred before asking him to go after early leader Down On My Luck at the quarter pole in :28.2. Mc Mach cleared easily and cruised through middle splits of :57.1 and 1:26.1 before roaring home in :27.2 to win in 1:54 over Down On My Luck and Tremendous Play.
The son of Mach Three-Northern Empress races for Robert McIntosh Stables Inc, Al McIntosh Holdings Inc and Randy Liepa. The first-time starter is a half-brother to Western Empress (1:51.3 - $229,915), Totally Impressive (1:51.4 - $199,005) and IwilldowhatIdo (1:52.1 - $190,353).
Yogi Bayama kicked off cover turning for home and rallied for a 1:54.1 score in the final division for the team of driver Sylvain Filion and Stephane Larocque. The colt got away fifth and watched Kingston Seelster and Master The View battle to the quarter pole in :27.1. Race favourite Master The View rushed to the lead in the backstretch and proceeded to lead the group through middle fractions of :57 and 1:26.1. Filion latched onto the cover of Pop N Liam around the final turn before turning his charge loose in the lane. Yogi Bayama drew clear to win over Master The View and Pop N Liam.The son of Sportswriter-Newmoon Bayama is a homebred owned by Bayama Farms Inc of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, QC. The youngster is a half-brother to Urbana Bayama (1:51.4 - $168,610).