Last year’s two-year-old trotting filly of the year in Canada, Riveting Rosie, recorded her first 2014 victory in the second of two $105,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies tonight at Grand River Raceway.

A winner of $468,000 last year, the daughter of Muscle Mass had a rough start to her three-year-old season when she cut both of her back legs fairly seriously this spring and it took her awhile to recover from those injuries. Given her impressive effort tonight, she now seems to be fully healed.

It was a compact group in her division with just five fillies competing. The simply named Margie and Sylvain Filion controlled the tempo early, hitting the opening panel in :29.2 and the half in :59.1. As the field trotted down the backside Paul MacDonell pulled the right line on Riveting Rosie from third and she took over by the three-quarters in 1:29.2.

Riveting Rosie opened up to win comfortably in 1:58.1 over Miss Liv and Stormont Kate, both daughters of Kadabra. For Riveting Rosie it was her first win in eight tries this year for trainer John Bax of Peterborough who co-owns with J and T Stable of Newmarket, Don Allensen of Wyoming and John Hayes of Sharon, Ontario.

Tonight’s efforts put Rosie’s life earnings over $550,000. Bred by Schare Adams of Kentucky, Rosie was a $17,000 yearling at the Lexington Select Sale.

In the first division three fillies were determined to control the tempo and were three wide early with White Becomes Her, the furthest wide, gaining the top by the first quarter in :27 for Mario Baillargeon. She had a breather in the next quarter, hitting the half mile marker in :57 and trotted by the three-quarters in 1:27 but was collared midway down the stretch by Sweetie Hearts and Jody Jamieson who hit the wire first in 1:57.4. Mayberry managed to nip White Becomes Her for second.

It was the second win in 10 tries this year for the daughter of Angus Hall trained by Ron Parsons for owner/breeder Bob Key of Pennsylvania. The filly hails from one of Key’s top maternal families as her second dam is a sister to American Winner ($1.3 million), Super Pleasure ($827,000), etc. It’s also the immediate family of Ontario-sired Harper Blue Chip who finished third in this year’s Hambletonian.

This group now has more than a month off before their next Gold test on September 21 at Flamboro Downs.

(OSS)

To view results for Wednesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Grand River Raceway.