An impressive line up of 66 sophomore trotting fillies are headed to Grand River Raceway on Friday evening, battling over the Elora half-mile for a total of $192,000 in Grassroots purse money
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After making an uncharacteristic miscue in her last Grassroots outing, on Aug. 9 at Georgian Downs, Mutinys Child will be looking to make amends from Post 2 in the last $24,000 division, and owner-breeder Larry Drysdale will be on hand to support the daughter of Mutineer and Armbro Diana.
“She’s a very consistent filly and she gets around the small tracks very good,” says the Orangeville resident, who shares ownership of the filly with wife Jackie Drysdale and son Dan Drysdale of Acton.
The longtime horseman says the filly went off stride in the Georgian Downs event trying to hustle away from Post 8, and although she spotted the field over 16 lengths, still eked out a third-place finish and added a few more points to her Grassroots tally.
“It took her a while to get back trotting, but she still came back and finished third. She went a big mile,” says the farm manager for Winbak Farm of Caledon. “She’s a very honest filly, that’s for sure.”
The Drysdale’s bred Mutinys Child and always liked the filly’s conformation and attitude. They sent her to trainer Frank O’Reilly as a yearling and the Guelph resident sent her behind the gate eight times last season, garnering two wins, one second and two thirds for earnings of $15,422. This season the filly has three wins, one second and three thirds to her credit through 10 starts and has been a model of consistency on the Grassroots circuit, recording two wins and one third in three outings. With 112 points Mutinys Child is currently sitting in a tie for fourth in the division standings.
“She’s just been a sweetheart of a filly and we’ve had a lot of fun with her, and hope to have a lot more fun with her,” says Drysdale. “Hopefully she’ll have some luck Friday night.”
Mutinys Child is one of two Mutineer daughters currently ranked in the top 10 of the three-year-old trotting filly Grassroots standings, and Drysdale credits Jackie with the decision to match Armbro Diana up with the stallion, who stands at Winbak Farms.
“My wife Jackie has always been a big Mutineer fan,” notes the horseman. “She said, ‘We’re not selling this filly, because I’ve wanted a Mutineer from this mare.’”
Drysdale adds that Mutinys Child bears a physical resemblance to her mother, an unraced daughter of Conway Hall he purchased from former employer Armstrong Brothers in 2004, but hopes she follows in the footsteps of her $566,191 winning father on the racetrack.
The Drysdale’s will be on hand to watch driver Doug Brown send the filly after another top three finish from Post 2 Friday. Among their rivals in Race 11 are the twelfth ranked Some Like It Hot from Post 5 and sixteenth ranked Magical Paige from Post 4.
In addition to Mutinys Child, division leaders Harlow Seelster and Extraordinaire will also be looking to pad their point totals at Grand River on Friday. Harlow Seelster makes her bid for a fourth Grassroots victory from Post 7 in the fifth race, while Extraordinaire will be looking to extend her flawless record of three wins in three Grassroots starts from Post 7 in Race 3.
Grand River Raceway’s first race parades in front of fans at 7:10 p.m., with the three-year-old trotting fillies taking centre stage in Races 2 through 5 and 7, 8, 10 and 11. One of the Grassroots races will be designated as the Win The Thrill contest race, giving Grand River fans another opportunity to qualify for the Grand Prize draw of a share in the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s (SBOA) New Owner Mentoring Program.
Finalists from Friday night’s Win The Thrill race at Grand River can enter a ballot in the Grand Prize draw at Mohawk Racetrack on Oct. 1, during the Grassroots Championships, in hopes of joining eight other newcomers to ownership in the Mentoring Program. This year’s group will be mentored by long time owner Brian Webster of St. George Brant and trainer Tony O’Sullivan of Cambridge, who currently sits in the top 10 among all Canadian trainers for both wins and money earned by his trainees.
More information about the Win The Thrill contest and the SBOA New Owners Mentoring program is available at www.ontariosiresstakes.com and www.standardbredbreeders.com. Ballots and details are available in the official Grand River Raceway program.
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To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Entries – Grand River Raceway.