The morning line favourite for this Thursday night’s edition of the Ontario Sired Autumn Stakes eliminations for rookie pacing fillies has been a pleasant surprise for breeder/trainer/co-owner Jamie Bardoel

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Putnam Mackenzie, a daughter of Grinfromeartoear out of the Bo Knows Jate mare Royas Bambi (a $383,000 earner), went through the Forest City Yearling Sale last fall, but was purchased back for a modest $6,500.

“She’s a very good-looking, big strong filly,” Bardoel said, “and she was the first filly out of the mare after a couple of colts, so we decided to keep her.

“We’ve been babying her along and it’s been paying off. She won her first lifetime start, and she has a quick brush to her, so we might have a bit of a stakes filly on our hands if she makes the final.”

Putnam Mackenzie has been listed at 5-2 in the first of two $20,000 eliminations, despite having drawn the eight hole. With three weeks off before her most recent start on November 5, Bardoel said Putnam Mackenzie's eighth-place finish wasn’t too shocking, but intends to have his charge primed and ready to race on Thursday.

“We were actually in at Woodbine last Thursday night but the card got cancelled due to fog, so I took her to Mohawk the next morning to school. With any luck she’ll be tight enough for this elim and we’ll get into the final.

"The plan is just to give her a taste (of stakes company) this fall, and then shut her down for a few months to get her ready for her three-year-old year.”

The Ontario-sired freshman pacing fillies go postward at Woodbine in Races 3 and 5, which have estimated respective post times of 8:08 p.m. and 8:46 p.m.

To view Woodbine's harness racing entries for Thursday, click here.

(WEG)