Fresh off an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final victory with sophomore trotting filly Peach Martini, Oakville, Ont. resident Rick Zeron shipped a pair of two-year-old trotting fillies to Flamboro Downs on Sunday and added a Grassroots win and runner-up finish to his list of

accomplishments for the weekend.

Zeron’s first trip behind the Flamboro Downs starting gate came aboard Royal Crown in the first $24,000 Grassroots division, and the Amigo Hall daughter carved all the fractions before getting reeled in by Majestic Taglet in the stretch. Majestic Taglet hit the wire in 2:05, two lengths ahead of Royal Crown and Spanish Lullaby.

Sylvain Filion piloted Majestic Taglet to the win for trainer Claude Beausoleil and owners Roland Rocco of Lasalle, Que. and Benoit Gendron of Beaconsfield, Que. The Majestic Son daughter learned her early lessons over the Rideau Carleton Raceway oval, qualifying on June 16 and 23. The filly captured her June 23 qualifier in 2:05.1 over a sloppy track rated four second slower than normal.

The second Grassroots division marked the second time this weekend that Zeron hoisted an Ontario Sires Stakes trophy. The trainer-driver captured the three-year-old trotting filly Gold final on Saturday night at Georgian Downs, steering Peach Martini to a confident front-end victory, and he used the same tactics to land Tymal Teegan in the winner’s circle on Sunday.

Starting from Post 4, Zeron had the Angus Hall miss on top by the half-way marker and the filly dug hard through the final quarter to post a well earned half length victory in 2:04.1. Winbak Music and Rapture rounded out the top three.

Cambridge, Ont. resident Terry Hunter owns both Tymal Teegan and Royal Crown. Tymal Teegan was a $7,000 acquisition from last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale while Royal Crown was a bargain basement $1,900 purchase from the Fall Extravaganza sale.

With Sunday’s win and runner-up finish, both fillies have fully repaid their purchase price.

In contrast, Cool Creek Breeze made a small deposit against the $97,000 her owners spent at last fall’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale. The daughter of Angus Hall and Balanced Breeze earned the credit with an effortless 2:04.3 victory that saw her sail across the wire four lengths ahead of Zorgwijk Mercedes and Hold Her Tight.

Mario Baillargeon engineered the victory for his brother, trainer Benoit Baillargeon of Rockwood, Ont. and partner Diane Ingham of Mount Pleasant, Ont. Cool Creek Breeze, a half sister to $1.3 million winner Casual Breeze, also had two qualifiers under her belt heading into Sunday’s test — June 28 and July 5 at Mohawk Racetrack.

Casino Kate clocked the fastest mile of the six Grassroots divisions, halting the teletimer at 2:02.3 in Race 7. The Cadillac Hall miss cruised home five lengths ahead of Joys Mutinee and Barbie And Ken.

Puslinch, Ont. resident Paul Mackenzie was in the race bike behind Casino Kate, as he was in her June 24 qualifier at Flamboro. Michael Robblee of Woodstock, Ont. conditions the filly for his partner, and the filly’s breeder, Ronald Thomson of Embro, Ont.

Doug McNair coaxed a neck victory out of De La Noche in the fifth Grassroots split, besting fan favourite Tymal Sonata and Northern Kendra. De La Noche hit the wire in 2:05.

Gregg McNair trains the Amigo Hall daughter for Vince Mastrangelo of Brampton, Ont., who plucked the filly out of the Fall Extravaganza for just $2,000.

The last Grassroots division went to Paul MacDonell and Incredible Her Bee, who cruised to a two length win in 2:04.3. Action On Lavec and Starry Ives were the second and third-place cheque earners.

John Bax conditions Incredible Her Bee for Len Kordy of Kingston, Ont., who also bred the daughter of Here Comes Herbie and Joys Incredible.

Complimenting the on-track excitement at Flamboro Downs on Sunday was the trackside excitement generated by the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s Win The Thrill contest. Sunday’s finalists — who all earned a shot in the Oct. 1 Grand Prize draw for a share in the 2011 Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s New Owner Mentoring Group — were Roger Carmichael of Cambridge; Murray Hood of Burlington; Kelly Hureau of St. George; Fay Mannen of Brantford; Amber McLeod of Hamilton; OJ Poliziani of Hamilton; Soniya Utarid of Mississauga; and Beth Wallace of Dundas.

Some of the fillies from Sunday’s contest may be back at Flamboro Downs on Wednesday, July 20 when the Dundas oval hosts Gold Series eliminations for the freshman trotting lasses. Fans will get their second shot at the Win The Thrill contest on Wednesday, July 27, when the fillies compete in their $130,000 Gold final.

For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.

(OSS)