Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing fillies invaded Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening to battle for $144,000 in six Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions.

Sylvain Filion and Express Jet kicked things off in the first race with a hard fought half-length victory over last season’s Grassroots champion Eat Me Up. Express Jet powered up the outside to take command from Sunflower heading for the three-quarter marker and then stayed tough in the stretch to claim the 1:55.2 victory. Canjet rounded out the top three.

Filion engineered the trophy presentation for trainer Richard Moreau and owner Noblock Racing Stable of Collingwood, Ont. The win was Express Jet’s second of the season and her first in Ontario Sires Stakes action.

Express Jet was the first of three daughters of Jeremes Jet to earn a Grassroots trophy at the Ottawa oval during Sunday’s program, with two of them getting a steer from Filion.

Filion teamed up with Jeremes Jet daughter Memumsnotnice in the fifth division and the pair rocketed around the five-eighths oval to a six and one-half length triumph. The Corey Johnson trainee recorded a personal best 1:53.3, besting Village Bound and Shes Machs Delight, who is owned and trained by Lansdowne, Ont. resident Mark Steacy.

Memumsnotnice was also a Grassroots winner at Rideau Carleton last season in a freshman campaign that saw her claim two regular season trophies and finish second to Eat Me Up in the season finale. Colin Johnson of Le Gardeur, Que., Gilles Caouette of Garson, Ont., Claude Baril of Mascouche, Que. and Fred Brayford of Alliston, Ont. share ownership on the winner of $86,360.

Taras Jet completed the hat trick for the Jeremes Jet daughters, scoring a 1:54.4 win over Frown Upside Down and St Lads Morgan in the last division. Simon Allard piloted Taras Jet to a classic pocket trip behind pacesetter Frown Upside Down and then tipped the filly out in the stretch to get up for the one and three-quarter length triumph.

Guelph, Ont. resident Chris Matthews conditions Taras Jet for his partners John Fewster of Guelph and Desmond Scott of Orangeville, Ont. The win was the filly’s fourth of the season and her first in provincial stakes action.

Driver Paul Mackenzie also scored a pair of Grassroots victories on Sunday evening, steering Camluck daughter Lyons Luck to a 1:53.3 score in the second division for Joseph Lyons Mound of Burford, Ont. and Your Nemesis daughter Your Beautiful to a 1:55 win in the sixth race for owner-breeders Stephen and Marilyn Gillard of Tavistock, Ont.

Lyons Luck, trained by James Ciaran Morrison, was also a winner in the Grassroots season opener at Hanover Raceway on June 9, while Your Beautiful, who is trained by Stephen Gillard, finished second by a nose in her sophomore Grassroots debut.

Robert Shepherd and Phoenix Seelster claimed the other Grassroots trophy, going gate-to-wire from post one for a 1:55.3 result. Fan favourite Machleen had to settle for second from post eight, just ahead of third-place finisher Hiddenbrooke.

Also a winner at Hanover, Phoenix Seelster is conditioned by David Menary for his father Larry Menary of Cheltenham, Ont. and Kenneth Ewen of Georgetown, Ont. The Camluck miss currently shares ownership of top spot in the three-year-old pacing filly Grassroots standings with Lyons Luck.

The sophomore pacing fillies make their third Grassroots stop at Grand River Raceway on July 27, while Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to the nation’s capital on Friday, July 6 with Grassroots competition for the three-year-old trotting fillies.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.

(OSS)