Western Fair Raceway’s fall season opened with a bang on Friday night as the top two-year-old Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots performers battled in eight $30,000 Semifinals

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The talented two-year-old trotters and pacers put on an impressive show that did not feature any stunning upsets, as the regular season point leaders from all four divisions advanced easily to next week’s championship round. The fiercest battle of the evening came in the second trotting filly split and saw the top three fillies hit the wire separated by less than one length.

Once the dust had settled, the victory was awarded to Edens Cover Girl and driver Bruce Richardson, who stalked division leader and fan favourites Dabrina and Karen Hudon through fractions of :29.2, 1:01.1, and 1:32.3 before sprinting down the stretch to a nose victory in 2:03.4. Cook Off (Wayne Henry) roared down the stretch into third, just a half length behind the dueling leaders, and Wild Logic (Ron Waples) rounded out the championship qualifiers from fourth.

Strathroy, Ont. resident Dan Creighton trains Edens Cover Girl for his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy, breeders Edenridge Farms of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Chasin The Dream Stable, whose members are Randy Clark of Petrolia, Ont., London Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter of London, Ont. and his father Richard Hunter of Oil Springs, Ont.

In six starts this season Edens Cover Girl has provided her enthusiastic owners with three victories, one third and two fifths, for earnings of $43,335. The daughter of Ken Warkentin and Princess Peri wrapped up the regular Grassroots season in eighth spot with 117 points from her four appearances.

When Edens Cover Girl stuck her nose in front of Dabrina at the wire, she and Richardson deprived Karen and Joe Hudon Jr. of a sweep of the division. The couple’s other filly, Magic Wheel, romped to a five and one-quarter length victory in the first Semifinal without ever facing a challenge from her peers.

Sprinting away from Post 5, Magic Wheel and Karen Hudon reached the opening quarter in :31, and just kept on rolling, ringing up a 1:02 half and a 1:32.1 three-quarters on their way to a 2:02.2 victory. Karen Hudon shares ownership of Magic Wheel with breeder Margaret Payne of St. Augustine, Florida and has teamed the filly to three wins, two seconds and one third in eight starts this season. The Kadabra daughter finished second in the point standings behind her stablemate.

Some Like It Hot (Lyle MacArthur) overcame the handicap of Post 7 to finish second for trainer-driver Lyle MacArthur and owners Anne Shunock of Dorchester, Ont., Linda Wellwood of St. George Brant, Ont., Tammy Aspden of Caistor Centre, Ont., and Diane Ingham of Mount Pleasant, Ont., while Out Of The Kitchen (Mike Saftic) and Last Chance Babie (Dave Wall) rounded out the top four.

MacArthur also teamed trotting colt division leader Bob From Brussels to a runner-up performance for Dorchester resident Shunock in the sixth race. The Here Comes Herbie son finished two and one-half lengths behind winner Assignment in the 2:00.2 mile. The time of the mile lowered Eatonmeadown Clyde's 2:01.4 two-year-old trotting colt track record and was two-fifths of a second off the overall male frosh record set by gelding Grand Sovereign in 2003. Ted Jacobs trains and drives Assignment — who has only been bested once this year — for owner-breeder Glen Campbell of Kingston, Ont.

Tamarind trotted into third, while Major Herbie survived a tough trip to secure the last spot in the Grassroots Final for owners Dan McCann of Parkhill, Ont. and the Henry Stable of Arthur, Ont.

McCann’s other trotting colt, Starlitestarbrite (Trevor Henry), also delivered a top four finish, hitting the wire eight lengths behind winner Chuckalo Caden after carving sharp early fractions of :29.3, 1:01.1 and 1:31.2.

Chuckalo Caden halted the Western Fair teletimer at 2:01.3 to post his third win of the season for breeder, owner and trainer Clare “Chuck” Thompson of Sunderland, Ont. Put Your Dukes Up (Mike Saftic) and Idle Time, another starter from the Joe Hudon Jr. barn, were well back in third and fourth.

Pacing filly Camille opened the evening’s speed show with a 1:57.2 victory over fan favourite Modern Best (Doug McNair), The Big Macher (Mike Saftic) and Montenegro (Scott Zeron). The full sister to former Ontario Sires Stakes super star Chancey Lady was teamed to the win by Jason Brewer on behalf of trainer Rodney Duford and owner-breeder Larry Pollard of Harrow, Ont.

The second pacing filly Semifinal went to young reinsman Doug McNair and Lucky Taryn, who controlled the pace from start to finish and hit the wire one and one-quarter lengths on top in 1:58.2. Louie Eftimiadis conditions the Mach Three lass, who finished atop the regular season standings with 170 points, for owner-breeder Gerald Mijal of Westland, Michigan.

Fan favourite Epoxy Queen (Brad Rae) paced effortlessly into the runner-up spot, with Pindars Grin (Scott Zeron) and Trusting (Bill Davis Jr.) rounding out the top four.

Gifted pacing colt Just Asign To Me, fresh off an Ontario Sires Stakes record performance at Windsor Raceway on Oct. 6, extended his Grassroots unbeaten streak to seven with a two and one-quarter length victory. The Geartogear son stopped the clock at 1:55.3 off front end fractions of :27.2, :57.1, and 1:26. Trevor Henry engineered the gelding’s eighth victory in 10 starts for trainer Bruce Gilkinson’s Cat Sass Stable of Listowel, Ont.

Also advancing out of the talent laden first Semifinal were Facebook (Doug McNair), Mach Wheel — another Joe Hudon Jr. entry, and Camaes Fellow (Phil Hudon).

Atlantic Ball out sprinted Lucky Encounter (Mike Saftic) to grab a 1:56.3 victory in the other pacing colt division. Scott Zeron piloted the Presidential Ball son to his third lifetime win for trainer Randy Harris and owner Kayley Harris of Caledonia, Ont.
Pacesetter Adventure Bound (Randy Fritz) stayed game for third, while Hi Sir (Doug McNair) circled out four-wide to get up for fourth. Fan favourite Dreamfair Kovu (Robert Shepherd) did not enjoy his first-over trip and faded back to seventh.

The top four finishers from each Semifinal now have seven days to prepare for their respective $100,000 Grassroots Championships. The two-year-old olds will be joined at Western Fair Raceway next Saturday, Oct. 23 by the top three-year-old trotters and pacers, who battle over the London oval in their Semifinal events Saturday (Oct. 16) night.

To view Friday's results, click here.

(With files from OSS)