If pretty is as pretty does, then three-year-old trotting filly Paidmedorayme looked awfully good touring around Hiawatha Horse Park on Thursday evening in the

last of eight $24,000 Grassroots divisions.

Heading into Thursday’s contest trainer Darryl Laver said Paidmedorayme is not the most elegant trotter, and that she is always on the verge of pacing. The Petrolia resident was relying on driver Paul Mackenzie to keep the filly on the straight and narrow and Mackenzie delivered, guiding Paidmedorayme to her second straight Grassroots triumph.

While she may not have looked elegant in the process, Paidmedorayme cruised to an effortless 2:00.4 victory, reaching the wire six full lengths ahead of Lucerne De Vie and 10 in front of third-place finisher Good Poker Face. Fred Petersen of Springfield and Martin Hossack of Thamesford bred and own the daughter of Oaklea Julian and Paidmyway, who now boasts a record of four wins, three seconds and two thirds in 13 sophomore starts for earnings of $56,275.

The quickest mile of the eight Grassroots divisions was recorded by Windsong Felicity in the ninth race. The Via Blaze daughter and driver Glen Hardy tracked pacesetter Baskin Wonder through fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:27.1 before stepping out around the last turn and pulling away to a four and three-quarter length victory in 1:58.

Mike Sinclair trains Windsong Felicity for owners Steve Organ of Aurora and Rosemary Shelswell of Cookstown. Prior to Thursday’s Grassroots test, Windsong Felicity had captured a leg and the final of the City of London Pacing Series at Western Fair Raceway. Through seven starts the first year trotter now has four wins and one second for earnings of $49,850.

Drivers Brad Forward and Kevin Wallis each recorded the Grassroots driving double at Hiawatha on Thursday. Forward led off the evening with a 2:00.1 come from behind score with Lindy Of My Dreams, and was back in the winner’s circle following Race 8 with Skyla.

Ted MacDonnell trains Lindy Of My Dreams for owner-breeder Lindy Racing Stable of Enfield, CT. Through four starts the Angus Hall miss has two wins and one second to her credit, with Thursday marking her debut in the Grassroots program.

Woodlawn resident John Smith bred, owns and trains Skyla, who also got a come from behind steer from Forward to earn her 1:59.2 victory. The Potato Race daughter was also a victor in the Grassroots season opener at Grand River Raceway on June 8 and has a total of five wins and one second on her resume through eight sophomore starts.

Wallis earned his first piece of Grassroots hardware with last year’s division champion Stonebridge Marita, guiding the Mark Steacy trainee to her first victory of the 2009 season. Starting from Post 3 in the seventh race, Stonebridge Marita led through all stations, cruising under the wire four lengths ahead of her peers in a personal best 2:00.1.

Breeder Angie Stiller of Arva and Robert Kauffman of New Albany, OH share ownership on the Angus Hall filly, who had two third-place finishes on her sophomore card heading into Thursday’s skirmish.

In Race 10 Wallis used the same strategy with another Stonebridge filly owned by Stiller and Kauffman. Stonebridge Diva trotted away from her peers to a five and one-quarter length victory in a smart 1:58.4, scoring her first sophomore victory in just her second start. Gro Formia trains Stonebridge Diva, also a daughter of Angus Hall.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Trinity Krysta in 1:59.3 and Dutchess Seelster in 2:00.

Ontario’s talented three-year-old trotting fillies return to Grassroots action on Aug. 8 at Woodstock Raceway, while Hiawatha Horse Park fans will be treated to Grassroots excitement from the two-year-old trotting fillies on Thursday, August 13.

(OSS)

To view Thursday’s results, click here.