Driver Robert Shepherd brought the winning touch to Kawartha Downs on Saturday evening, capturing two Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots events and the Kawartha Downs 38th Anniversary Pace in front of over 3,500 fans
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Shepherd opened his productive evening in the second $24,000 Grassroots division, piloting three-year-old pacing filly Heavenly Ash to her third straight provincial victory.
Starting from Post 5, Shepherd settled the fan favourite into fourth and let Scott Zeron and All Chocolate do all the work on the front end, ringing up fractions of :27.4, :56.2 and 1:25. Heading for the three-quarters, Shepherd tipped Heavenly Ash to the outside and the filly cruised around the final turn and down the stretch to a two and one-quarter length victory in 1:54. All Chocolate had to settle for second, with Eyewitness Account (Doug McNair) pacing into third.
Macadream Stable of Ottawa, ON and Ciro Gentile of Boca Raton, Florida share ownership on Heavenly Ash, a daughter of Royal Mattjesty who boasts a sophomore record of four wins, one second and two thirds through nine starts for earnings of $49,760. Shawn Robinson trains the talented youngster, who leads the three-year-old pacing filly Grassroots division with 150 points.
Cambridge, ON resident Shepherd returned to the winner’s circle following the fifth race, steering another favourite to an impressive clocking. Putnam Mackenzie sat fifth through the :27.3 quarter recorded by Jael Seelster (Trevor Henry), then stepped to the outside behind Nifty Ace (Aaron Byron), who is owned by trainer George Hunt and Greg Hunt of Peterborough, ON and Kelli Ann Hunt of Toronto, ON.
Putnam Mackenzie followed Nifty Ace through the :58 half and then heading for the 1:25.4 three-quarters, Shepherd sent his filly out three-wide. Putnam Mackenzie grabbed control of the lead before the turn and accelerated away from the field to a five and three-quarter length victory in 1:53.2. Mi Amada (Doug McNair) closed hard to claim second-place honours, while Nifty Ace earned the third-place finisher’s share.
Saturday’s win was Putnam Mackenzie’s second in Grassroots action this season and gives her a total of 100 points in the race for a post season berth. David Menary trains the daughter of Grinfromeartoear for owner-breeders Putnam Training Centre Ltd. of Mossley, ON and Jamie Bardoel of London, ON. Through 15 starts this season the filly has five wins and one third for earnings of $56,111.
Shepherd capped his driving hat trick with a 1:51.2 victory aboard Lucky Man in the $38,000 Anniversary Pace. The pair stalked pacesetter The Ladies Man (Trevor Henry) throughout the mile before sprinting down the stretch to the quarter length victory in 1:51.2 over Power Off (Scott Coulter) and Stonebridge Terror (Gord Brown).
Casie Coleman trains Lucky Man, a former Ontario Sires Stakes competitor, for Tom Hill of Lancashire, Great Britain.
Young reinsmen Scott Zeron and Doug McNair picked up two Grassroots wins each on Saturday. Zeron piloted Goliath Bayama daughter Draconian Prophet to a front end 1:54.3 victory in the fourth race for trainer Dustin Jones and owner Ecurie Synergie of Montreal, QC, and Royal Mattjesty lass Kims Quest to a front end 1:53.2 triumph in the eleventh race for trainer Michael Grant and owner 1187422 Ontario Inc. of Gloucester, ON.
McNair picked up his wins in Races 7 and 10. In the seventh he piloted Modern Beauty to a half length victory in 1:53.3 for his father, trainer Gregg McNair, and owners Raymond Kwok of North York, ON, Corrine Ryan of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Jack Gray of Lebanon, Kentucky. In Race 10 he took a front end tour with Athleticlyinclined that saw the filly reach the finish line four lengths ahead of her peers in 1:54 for trainer Jeff Gillis and owners John Carver of Moline, Illinois and Ronald Michelon of Northbrook, Illinois.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Perfume N Pearls in 1:54.4; Misty Moonstone in 1:55.3; Holiday Shopper in 1:54.3; and Mother Hen in 1:54.1.
The fillies will make their fourth Grassroots start at Woodstock Raceway on Saturday, August 14. Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Kawartha Downs on Tuesday, August 17 with Grassroots divisions for the two-year-old trotting colts.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from OSS)