Filion Doubles With Grassroots Fillies
Current Ontario Sires Stakes leading driver Sylvain Filion collected two more trophies as three-year-old pacing fillies invaded Mohawk Racetrack on Friday night to compete in five $18,000 Grassroots divisions.
Filion was victorious in the first two sires stakes of the night with Ainsleynoelle and Southwind Geisha.
Southwind Geisha was the fastest of the evening's five division winners in a career-best 1:51.4 over the "good" track as she swept from third to first in the second quarter and defeated Machmeter and Pinot Grigio by three and a half lengths. The Sportswriter-Gamblers Passion filly was the 4-5 race favourite after stringing together three straight runner-up efforts against Grassroots fillies. She is owned by trainer Victor Puddy of Mountain, Ont., Limco Inc. of Chateauguay, Que., and Otnevram Inc. of Saint Leonard, Que. While the win was her first in the OSS program, the filly, who was a $12,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase that went unraced as a two-year-old, has put together a record reading 5-4-3 in 16 starts and has banked $61,102 in purses.
The Colin Johnson-trained filly Ainsleynoelle earned her second Grassroots trophy as she romped to a four and a quarter length victory in 1:53.3. The Jeremes Jet-Pretty Thing filly, who was also victorious in the July 24 leg at Mohawk, is owned by Debbie Element of Rockwood, Ont., David Heffering of Port Perry, Ont., and Ecurie Jgv Enrg of Laval, Que. Mystery Writer closed well for second and favourite OK Heavenly was third.
Other division winners were: OK Hallellujah (Sportswriter-Song Writer) in 1:53.4 for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Mark Steacy; Evas Girl (Rambaran-Czech With Eva) in 1:53.4 for James MacDonald and Isaac Waxman; and Glamour Seelster (Jeremes Jet-Gold Not Silver) in 1:53.3 for Doug and Gregg McNair.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.