Ontario’s three-year-old pacing fillies head to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday, Aug. 29 with just two events remaining on their Grassroots calendar, and the pressure is building on the fillies hovering near the cut off mark to secure one of 10 berths in the season ending Grassroots Championship.
With 65 points local filly Panstakingly is currently tied for ninth in the division standings and trainer-driver Donald Jobin will be looking to boost that tally from Post 5 in the third $18,000 Grassroots division. Through her first four Grassroots starts the No Pan Intended daughter has posted two seconds, one third and one sixth-place result.
Owned by Jobin and Danielle Belisle of Clarence Creek, Panstakingly scored three wins over the Rideau Carleton oval in April and May, recording a personal best 1:58.4. Through 14 sophomore starts the filly has a record of three wins, five seconds and three thirds for earnings of $21,058. Among the fillies she will face in Thursday’s eighth race is Swingirl, owned and bred by Peter Haime of Ottawa, who will benefit from Post 1.
Thursday’s first race features a battle between division point leader Mattys Big Day and last year’s Grassroots Champion Cams Macharena, who comes into the event off a 1:53.1 personal best at Georgian Downs in the Aug. 20 Grassroots test. Cams Macharena will start from Post 3 for trainer Tony O’Sullivan and owner-breeders Kenneth Kohut of Independence, OH and Chris Arold and Michael Drury of Strongsville, OH, while Mattys Big Day will start from Post 7 for trainer Corey Johnson and owners Debbie Element and Ecurie JGV Enrg of Laval, QC.
The division heavyweights will kick off the Thursday evening program at 6:30 p.m., with the other two Grassroots divisions slated for Races 4 and 8. Before the racing gets under way Rideau Carleton Raceway fans will have an opportunity to meet some of the program’s top drivers and enter a prize draw for Ontario Sires Stakes apparel.
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To view entries for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Entries – Rideau Carleton Raceway.