Tuesday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park showcased the two-year-old trotting harness racing horses in the OSS Grassroots, featuring three divisions for each sex, each with a purse of $20,000.
Hp Lucas made a notable impression in one of the six Grassroots divisions. In a thrilling start, Northern Drifter, from post ten, took early command after an opening quarter where Houston Seelster contended for the lead. Houston Seelster eventually seized the front position before the halfway point, but Northern Drifter reclaimed the lead and set a strong pace. Despite leading by a few lengths and posting a third-quarter time of 1:27.4, Northern Drifter was overtaken in the stretch by Hp Lucas, who closed with a 29.2 final quarter to win in a career-best 1:58.2. Hp Lucas, trained by Ben Baillargeon and driven by Alarm Detector, was a 15-1 longshot and secured his first win in three career starts. Northern Drifter finished second, and Houston Seelster took third.
Hay Dad emerged victorious in the second split of the Grassroots for colts and geldings. The 3/5 favourite, driven by Bob McClure, initially settled in a pocket spot behind P L Spencer but quickly moved to the lead after a 28.3 opening quarter. Hay Dad maintained control with middle fractions of 58.0 and 1:27.3 before finishing strongly with a 29.1 final quarter to win in 1:56.4. With P L Spencer going off stride, The Bear A Cuda finished second, and Modelo Gold rallied for third.
The third division was claimed by Wendell Blue Chip, driven by Doug McNair from post ten. Despite a slow start, Wendell Blue Chip quickly assumed the lead, posting opening fractions of 29.1. The Governor took over briefly, but Wendell Blue Chip regained control and pulled away in the stretch, winning in 1:58.1 with a strong 28.1 final quarter. The Governor held second place, and Gravenhurt finished third.
In the filly divisions, Wells Fargo pulled off a 7-1 upset in her race. After Race Director set an early pace, Wells Fargo, driven by Shawn Steacy, capitalised on a late opening and closed with a 28.2 final quarter to win in 1:57.2. This marked her first career victory in only her second start. Rich Girl finished second, and Eartha K took third.
The second filly division saw Ivy Lynn overcoming an early wide position to secure the lead after a 28.0 opening quarter. Ivy Lynn, with driver Sylvain Filion, maintained the lead throughout, finishing in 1:57.4. She has now secured two wins in her career. Wilma Fingerdo was the runner-up, and Dartford claimed third.
Core Resolve, sired by Resolve, finally achieved success after several attempts. Settling in early, Core Resolve was challenged by Sister Sara, who set the pace. However, Core Resolve found room in the stretch and edged out a win with a 28.1 final quarter, stopping the clock at 1:58.4. Sister Sara held on for second, and Alarming finished third.
Live harness racing returns to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday, August 1, with the first post scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT. The evening's 10-race card will include Leg 2 of the Pure Ivory, Millard Farms, and Whenuwishuponastar series.