On Tuesday, when most of her peers will wrap up their Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots season, two-year-old trotting filly Bridge On The Kwai will arrive at Georgian Downs not just for her provincial debut, but for her first lifetime start

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“She wasn’t mature enough so we had to wait on her,” explains trainer David Byron. “We were hoping to be ready in August, but it didn’t work out that way.”

With the final event on the Grassroots calendar taking place at the filly’s local oval, Byron and owners James Cantelon of Thornton, Ont., David Cantelon of Bolton, Ont., and Michael Cantelon of Tottenham, Ont. decided to test Bridge On The Kwai against her peers in spite of the filly’s relative inexperience. The homebred daughter of Angus Hall and Bridgeannika has just one qualifier under her belt, a 2:03.2 clocking in with older horses at Georgian Downs on Sept. 3, compared with the three to six starts amassed by the other eight fillies in Tuesday’s first Grassroots division.

“I wish we had a start in, or another qualifier, but what can you do,” says Byron.

“She was in with some older horses [Sept. 3], so it was hard to rate the speed, but Steve was happy with her,” he adds. “She seems to be getting better each week.”

Brother Stephen Byron will be back in the race bike on Tuesday, steering Bridge On The Kwai from Post 8 in the second race. The pair faces a field that includes top 10 ranked fillies Barbie And Ken at Post 1 and Uncommon Grace at Post 4, and while Byron admits a slice of the $24,000 Grassroots purse would be welcome, his main concern is Bridge On The Kwai’s education.

“We’ll get her educated, then shut her down for a bit and bring her back a little early,” says the Thornton, Ont. resident. “She seems to have the wanting.”

Byron and the Cantelons purchased the filly’s dam Bridgeannika as a young horse and raced her for two years before injury sent her to the broodmare barn. The trainer says the mare showed flashes of high speed, and they are hoping Bridge On The Kwai inherited that trait in addition to some less positive characteristics.

“Her mother was a little hard to get along with. I want to say, a little stubborn,” says the trainer wryly. “She has some of those quirks.”

While Bridge On The Kwai makes her debut, Dayplanner and Lovely Vacation, currently tied for second in the division standings with 150 points, will attempt to leapfrog the absent leader Tymal Teegan. Dayplanner and trainer-driver Paul Walker will be looking to extend their flawless Grassroots record to four from Post 5 in the sixth race, while Lovely Vacation and trainer-driver Mark Steacy will be aiming for win number four from Post 4 in the seventh race.

The two-year-old trotting fillies will be featured in Races 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 on Tuesday’s program, which gets under way at 7:25 p.m.

Tuesday’s program will also feature the Ontario Sires Stakes Win The Thrill contest, which gives fans an opportunity to pick up a Georgian Downs betting voucher and a ballot for the Grand Prize -- a share in the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s (SBOA) New Owner Mentoring Program. The Grand Prize draw occurs at Mohawk Racetrack during the Oct. 1 Grassroots Championships, and the lucky winner will join eight other group members and owner-mentor Brian Webster in the purchase and ownership of an Ontario-sired yearling that will be trained by Tony O’Sullivan in hopes of competing on next year’s OSS circuit.

More information about the Win The Thrill contest and the SBOA New Owners Mentoring program is available at www.ontariosiresstakes.com and www.standardbredbreeders.com. Ballots and details are available in the official Georgian Downs program.

To view Tuesday's entries, click on the following link: Tuesday Entries - Georgian Downs.

(OSS)