Three-year-old pacing filly Lil Miss Nyalation made an impressive debut in the Ontario Sires Stakes at Grand River Raceway on Friday night, overcoming the outside Post 8 to record the fastest time
in nine $24,000 Grassroots divisions.
Although they were heavily favoured in the fourth race, driver Jody Jamieson did not hurry Lil Miss Nyalation off the starting gate, in fact the pair was 16 and a half lengths behind pacesetters Cammis Most Wanted and Rose Seelster at the :27.4 opening quarter, and had gained only half a length by the :55.4 half. However, when Rose Seelster eased her foot off the gas heading for the three-quarters, Jamieson shifted Lil Miss Nyalation into gear.
Only two and a half lengths off the pace when Rose Seelster reached the 1:25.1 three-quarters, Lil Miss Nyalation took command around the final turn and stormed home a one and a half length winner in 1:54.4. Rose Seelster settled for second and Dance With Me Dee rounded out the top three.
Allan Heyman trains Lil Miss Nyalation for breeders Lil Dude Ranch in Surrey, B.C. Through six starts this season the Apaches Fame miss has logged one win, one second and one third for earnings of $22,870. Friday’s outing marked the filly’s first appearance in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, but clearly established her as a force to be reckoned with on the Grassroots circuit this summer.
Jamieson had the touch at Grand River on Friday, steering three fillies to Grassroots glory. In addition to Lil Miss Nyalation, the Cambridge resident also scored with Run To Vegas in Race 2 and Alison Wonderpan in Race 11.
Brenton Harris and James Otter of Whitby share ownership on Run To Vegas, who halted the Grand River teletimer at 1:56 to claim her second straight Grassroots victory. Bill Robinson trains the Astreos daughter, who has five wins, two seconds and two thirds to her credit through 16 starts this season.
Friday’s triumph marked Alison Wonderpan’s first appearance in the winner’s circle this season. The No Pan Intended daughter, bred and owned by Peter Pan Stable Inc. of Pepper Pike, Ohio, has four starts under her belt with one win and one third on her resume. Ervin Miller trains the youngster, who reeled in pacesetter Outofthefryingpan down the stretch to score the 1:56 victory.
Ontario Sires Stakes leading reinsman Brad Forward picked up another Grassroots double at Grand River on Friday, to go along with the pair he recorded at Woodstock Raceway on Tuesday. The reinsman eked out a half length 1:57.4 win aboard Your Nemesis daughter Ocean Of Motion in the seventh race for trainer, owner and breeder Stephen Gillard of Tavistock, and then logged a three-quarter length score in Race 12 with Paula Wellwood trainee Spoiled Beach. Enviro Stables Ltd. of South Hampton, New York bred and own Camluck filly Spoiled Beach, who stopped the clock at 1:55.4.
Ontario’s top drivers were not in a sharing mood on Friday evening, as Paul Mackenzie teamed up with trainer Mark Steacy to capture the eighth and tenth races.
In Race 8, Mackenzie and Pretty Thing romped around the Elora oval to a seven length victory in 1:55 for Peter Heffering of Port Perry. Astreos lass Pretty Thing now boasts a record of five wins and two seconds in eight starts for earnings of $45.395. In Race 10, Star Of Show delivered an impressive effort up the outside to post a 1:55.2 victory. Peter Heffering shares ownership on the Astreos daughter with his son David Heffering, also of Port Perry.
The other two Grassroots divisions went to Coming Late and driver Trevor Henry in 1:55 and Pantecostal and driver Michael Horner in 1:56.
The three-year-old pacing fillies make the fourth stop on their Grassroots tour at Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa on Aug. 6. Grand River Raceway fans enjoy a second dose of Ontario Sires Stakes action this Monday, July 13 as the two-year-old trotting fillies make their provincial debut in five $40,000 Gold eliminations.
In the Preferred pacing ranks at Grand River, Space Walk pulled off a mild 7-1 upset in rein to Paul MacKenzie in the $15,000 event. All The Weapons (Brad Forward) gunned for the lead from Post 7 and reached the top spot at the first quarter in :27.4 in front of Xlb Patrick (Trevor Henry) with Space Walk positioned in third. As the field headed to the :56.2 halfway point, Xlb Patrick moved up for the retake, but MacKenzie gave his charge the go-ahead and Space Walk rolled to command. The four-year-old son of Dragon Again then bypassed the third quarter mark in 1:24.1 and paced home in :29.2 for the triumph. The Phillip Coleman pupil clocked the mile in 1:53.3 while Donegal Gerald (Tony Kerwood) finished almost two lengths back in second after rallying three-wide at the third quarter mark. Favourite Secret Weapon (Jody Jamieson) was third.
Space Walk scored his third win of the season in 19 tries lifting his earnings to $53,230 for owner David Lumsden of Ancaster, Ont. The bay has won eight times in his career earning $131,208 in purses.
In the $12,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred #2 Pace, Slaley and the hot handed Jody Jamieson landed on top after the first quarter ahead of Simply Mavelous (Robert Shepherd) and then extended her lead to five and three-quarter lengths by the time she reached the wire. The four-year-old Grinfromeartoear mare tripped the teletimer in 1:54 flat. The time of the mile was one fifth of a second off the track record for aged mares. Simply Mavelous was the runner up and Keystone Mystique (Trevor Henry) grabbed the show dough.
Slaley, a four-year-old Grinfromeartoear mare, notched her third win of the season in 12 tries lifting her earnings to $27,615. The Bill Robinson pupil, a 15-time winner with $159,252 in the bank, is owned by Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, Que. and Ian Fromowitz of Richmond Hill, Ont.
To view Friday’s harness racing results, click here.
(With files from OSS)