The Ontario Sires Stakes rolled into Clinton Raceway on Sunday afternoon featuring the first round of Grassroots divisions for two-year-old trotting fillies
.
There were four divisions on tap, each worth $24,000, and the star of the show proved to be a youngster from the stable of trainer Mark Steacy.
Canada Cool is the filly’s name, and trotting at a speedy clip was her game on the matinee program. She marched right to the front for Steacy and proceeded to lay down fractions of :30.4, 1:01.4 and 1:33 before rolling home in :30.1 for the 2:03.1 decision. It was ten lengths back to runner-up Onehallofawoman, with the Annointed One another seven lengths back in third.
Katherine Steacy, David Reid, Dr. Malcolm Man Son Hing and Joe Loring share ownership on the Angus Hall-To B Mz America miss, who was a $47,000 purchase from last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale.
The first division went to Henry Stable and Jim Laverty’s J M Gold Digger, who also used front-stepping tactics to take her split. The Striking Sahbra-Golden Path rookie led through panels of :33, 1:06 and 1:37.2 for driver Trevor Henry and trainer Wayne Henry before sprinting home in :29.2 to stop the teletimer in 2:06.4. Race favourite J M Annie was the best of the rest, and Twin B Miss D rounded out the top three. The $12,000 payday almost covered her $15,000 price tag from last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale.
Emmylou Who was a popular winner in her assignment for trainer/driver Lyle MacArthur. Sent off as the 3-5 choice, the Ken Warkentin-Emerald Seelster miss enjoyed a ground-saving trip in the first half of the mile before challenging and then overtaking the leaders in the late stages of the mile. She one by a little more than a length over Dry Tears, while Gococoa took home the show dough in the 2:06.2 affair. Linda Wellwood, Tammy Aspden, Anne Shunock and Diane Ingham share ownership on the trotting lass, who came with a $21,000 price tag at last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
The slowest of the divisional winners was Photogenic Filly, but her pay was the same as the fillies who scored earlier on the card. Her 2:07.3 score was good enough to earn a $12,000 payday for the Waples Stable Inc. of Guelph, Ontario. The homebred daughter of Malabar Maple-Putin On The Ritz, who was handled by trainer/driver Ron Waples, coasted on the lead through fractions of :32.2, 1:04.3 and 1:36.2 before cruising home in :31.1 to secure the win over Donker Marie and Zorgwijk Katrina.
Next stop for the two-year-old trotting fillies on the OSS Grassroots trail is Thursday, August 13 at Hiawatha Horse Park
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.