Ontario-sired two-year-old pacing fillies invaded Kawartha Downs on Friday night, July 19 for Grassroots and Prospect Series action as the Fraserville, Ont. track celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Sires Stakes.
A large crowd gathered to watch the evening's Sires Stakes action amid the on-track festivities as well as Kawartha's first Wiener Dog Derby held between the harness races.
First-time winner Manhattan Mayhem topped the two-year-old pacing fillies, winning the fastest stakes division of the night in 1:55 flat. Scott Young drove the Shawn Steacy trainee in a $20,000 Grassroots contest, going first-over from fourth approaching the third quarter mark and kicking home in :28.3 to win by one length over late pocket-popper Jenny Longlegs (Guy Gagnon), with the fast-closing Night Dancer (Nick Boyd) edging out the favoured first-round winner Saddlebags (Samuel Fillion) to show. A winner in her second career start, the Bettors Delight-Manhattan Again filly is owned by Ontario breeders Tony Basile of Toronto and Andrew Atlas of Whitby, along with their partner Nancy Malik of Ottawa.
Tricky Wicky doubled up in the Grassroots Series, following up her winning effort in the July 9 opening leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a 1:55.3 triumph in rein to Nick Boyd. Rene Dion trains the McWicked-Dobre Povendane filly, a homebred for David and John Prushnok of Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Driver Jason Ryan, trainer Nick Gallucci and owner/breeder Millar Farms teamed up for a pair of Grassroots victories with the maiden-breaking fillies Oneformybaby (Hes Watching-Poto Hanover), who dropped from the Gold level to win her second career start in 1:55.2, and Ithadtobeyou (Bettors Delight-Mindsweeper), a 1:57.2 winner after hitting the board in her debut during last week's opening leg.
Ryan also picked up a Prospect win with Allstar Fireaway making a successful career debut in 1:58.2 for trainer Jason Woodward.
In the other $8,000 Prospect divisions, the Eric Nadeau-trained Century Lunar won as first asking in 1:58.1 with leading Kawartha driver Samuel Fillion in the bike and Mafalda broke her maiden in her second career start in 1:58.2 for the Baillargeon brothers -- driver Mario and trainer Ben.
The next Grassroots leg for the freshman pacing fillies is scheduled for Aug. 17 at Mohawk while the Prospect Series continues on Aug. 7 at Grand River Raceway.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Kawartha Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)