“Last year things went pretty smoothly for her, you can’t expect that this year as well,” noted trainer John Bax of his trotting filly, Riveting Rosie, whose outstanding performance as a two-year-old saw her named Canada’s rookie trotting filly of the year at the 2013 O’Brien Awards.

This year the daughter of Muscle Mass encountered some difficulty away from the track while she was being prepared for her sophomore season as she was involved in an accident, which saw her cut both of her back legs pretty severely.

“She’s about 80 to 90 per cent recovered from that,” said Bax. “We treated it with Manuka honey, which you get from the health food store. Our vet recommended and it seemed to help and stop the proud flesh from forming.”

Owned by Bax’s Parkhill Stud of Peterborough, Don Allensen of Wyoming, J And T Stable Newmarket and John Hayes of Sharon, Ontario, Riveting Rosie never finished off the board in her debut season winning six of eight starts and finishing second and third in the other two for over $468,000 in earnings.

In the first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold of the season, June 16 at Mohawk Racetrack, she raced well, finishing third after cutting most of the mile. She’ll make her second Gold appearance as a three-year-old tomorrow night back at the Campbellville oval where she’s drawn post eight in the second of two $105,000 divisions, race nine. Her regular pilot, Paul MacDonell, will be at the controls.

“I expect another good effort from her,” noted Bax, who purchased the filly as a yearling for $17,000 at the Lexington Select Sale. She is the fifth foal from the Balanced Image mare Rose De Vie Stena.

Among her competition tomorrow night is Muscle Babe, another daughter of Muscle Mass, who comes into the contest riding a three-race winning streak including her division of the first OSS Gold and the elimination and final of the SBOA Stake. She’s drawn post two in the same division as 'Rosie' and will have the services of James MacDonald.

Muscle Babe’s stablemate from the Dave Menary barn, Quadrophenia, who, like Muscle Babe is owned by Kjell Andersen of Norway, has post one in the other division, race three, also with MacDonald aboard. The daughter of Kadabra is the third foal of a former OSS star, $791,000 winner Birminghim. Quadrophenia has won her last two outings including the first OSS Grassroots test for this group.

Post time at Mohawk is 7:25 p.m. with the Gold divisions going to post in races three and nine.

To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Thursday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack.

(OSS)