Last season’s top driver in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, Scott Zeron, made a leap up the 2011 standings with a pair of wins in Grassroots action at Hiawatha Horse Park
on Thursday.
In the first two-year-old pacing filly division, Zeron guided fan favourite Grins Little Flirt to a 1:55.4 victory, taking control at the three-quarter pole and sailing home one and one-quarter length victors over Regally Blonde and Elegant Mach. Hometown favourite Apach Of Luck, owned by Doug and Dennis Belan of Oil Springs and Brian Fitzgerald of Dresden, rolled out smartly from Post 7 to an opening quarter in :28.1, but faded back to fifth through the second half.
Zeron engineered the Grassroots victory for trainer Symon Pryjma and owners Tony Basile of Toronto, Stephan Pryjma of Whitby and Michael Timpano of Orillia. The Grinfromeartoear daughter, out of Basile’s mare Pacific Hurricane, has one win and one third under belt through her first two lifetime starts.
Oakville, Ont. resident Zeron also used a come-from-behind strategy to land Stonebridge Sassy in the winner’s circle for owners Scott Horner of Toronto, Angie Stiller of Arva and Clay Harland Horner of Toronto.
Lightly regarded by fans, Stonebridge Sassy got away seventh from Post 5, but picked up ground steadily and was able to out sprint Almost Midnight to the wire to claim a three-quarter length victory in 1:57.2. Pacesetter Dear Aryss faded to third, with fan favourite Alittleeastermagic well back in seventh.
Trainer Jeff Gillis prepped Stonebridge Sassy for her racing debut with a June 20 qualifier at Grand River Raceway, where she finished a closing second in 2:02.1. The daughter of Camluck and Stiller’s mare Stonebridge Madona was a $90,000 purchase out of the 2010 Forest City Yearling Sale.
Elbowing Zeron out of the winner’s circle, veteran reinsman Jack Moiseyev and trainer John Kopas picked up the first of what would be two Grassroots trophies in the third division. Moiseyev tucked Cooking The Books in behind fan favourites Zeron and Sunflower and tailed them through fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26.2 before sprinting down the stretch to a 1:56 victory. Twin B Elite also closed well to claim the runner-up’s share, leaving Sunflower to settle for third.
Milton, Ont. resident Kopas trains Cooking The Books for Glengate Farms of Campbellville, Helen Biback of Thornhill and Old Aultsville Stable of Mississauga. The partners purchased the daughter of Mach Three at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale for a modest $15,000.
Driver-trainer duo Stuart Sowerby and Stephen Gillard borrowed the winner’s circle from Moiseyev and Kopas following Race 9, posing for photos with Your Beautiful, who got up for a three-quarter length victory over pacesetter Driving Miss Deo and Da Ladys Secret.
Bred and raised at Stephen and Marilyn Gillard’s Tavistock farm, Your Beautiful is by their sire Your Nemesis and out of their mare Beautiful Girl. The filly halted the Hiawatha teletimer at 1:55.4.
Kopas and Moiseyev returned to the winner’s circle following the last $24,000 Grassroots division, hoisting a trophy on behalf of fan favourite Machintosh. The daughter of Mach Three and Mollin Hanover, a $62,000 acquisition at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale, sailed home a one and one-half length victor in 1:59.2. Classy Lane Rose and Fanciful Mara rounded out the top three.
Clay Harland Horner, John Fielding of Toronto, and LLK Stable of Mississauga share ownership of Machintosh, who is a half-sister to $310,078 winner Giddy Up Delight.
The two-year-old pacing fillies make their second Grassroots start at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 17. Hiawatha Horse Park welcomes back the Ontario Sires Stakes program next Thursday, July 7, hosting the second Grassroots competition of the season for the three-year-old trotting colts.
For results from Thursday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Thursday Results - Hiawatha Horse Park.
(OSS)