Sophomore trotting filly Rubys Are Nice returned to the Grassroots program on Monday, Aug. 30 and found her way to the Ontario Sires Stakes winner’s circle for the first time in her career.
Lining up at Post 7 behind the Woodbine Mohawk Park starting gate, driver James MacDonald hustled Rubys Are Nice out to an early lead and the Muscle Mass daughter reached the opening quarter in :27.1. Untroubled through a :56.1 half and a 1:24.4 three-quarters, Rubys Are Nice sailed down the stretch to a one and three-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:54.1. Pixies Lady shadowed Rubys Are Nice to secure the runner-up spot and favourite P L Opportunity closed for third.
“I thought she had the ability to be a Gold filly, but just the way the races have gone she’s not been good enough to be able to secure a consistent driver,” said trainer Rob Fellows. “I think in each start she’s had six different drivers, which is hard for any horse, let alone a trotting filly, to make any headway in any program. She’s not a bad filly, but through commitments of drivers on other horses and other stables, she’s been kind of left behind, so I moved her down to the Grassroots.”
Rubys Are Nice started her three-year-old provincial campaign at the Grassroots level then moved up to the Gold Series for two starts before dropping back down for the fourth leg. Monday’s outing was James MacDonald’s second straight appearance in the filly’s race bike. The Guelph, ON resident also teamed her to a runner-up result in an Aug. 24 overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
“Nice big strong filly, no fault of hers, just one of those hard luck fillies,” said Rockwood, ON resident Fellows, who trains Rubys Are Nice for owner/breeders Blair and Erna Corbeil of Beaumont, AB. “I like her, she’s a nice horse, hopefully she comes back and races next year.”
I Da Princess also scored her first Ontario Sires Stakes win in the second $21,800 division on Monday. Starting from Post 5 with Jody Jamieson at the reins, I Da Princess landed fifth as Hope So led the field of eight to a :27.4 quarter. The pair continued to sit in the middle of the pack as Tealicious took control heading for the :57.1 half, but they were advancing behind division point leader Tipsy In Dixie by the 1:26 three-quarters. Rolling off the last turn Jamieson gave I Da Princess a clear lane to the wire and the filly accelerated home to a two and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:55.3. Tipsy In Dixie finished second and Stonebridge Strong closed for third. Favourite Great Dane made an early break and finished a distant seventh.
“She seems like a bit of a late bloomer, but she sure has come into her own,” said Guelph, ON resident Jamieson, who has driven the filly to two straight wins and a runner-up result in the Aug. 12 Grassroots leg. “She was a very easy winner tonight. I’m excited to see what she can do against the best Grassrooters.”
William McClure of Brampton trains I Da Princess and shares ownership of the Il Sogno Dream daughter with John McClure of Georgetown. Monday’s victory moved the filly into fourth spot in the division point standings with one regular season event remaining.
A Blue Blood moved from third to second in the point standings with her second Grassroots win of the season in the last division. The fans’ second choice got away second from Post 6 and watched Warrawee Welcome ring up a :27.2 opening quarter. Fan favourite P L Olivia was on her way to the front by the :56.1 half and carried on to a 1:26.2 three-quarters. In the stretch driver Doug McNair kept A Blue Blood tucked behind Warrawee Welcome as that filly started to challenge the favourite, and then circled around the leaders and trotted home to a one and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:56.2. Warrawee Welcome finished second and P L Olivia was third. All three fillies are by sire Muscle Mass.
“She raced good. She has nice gate speed and I just wanted to sit close and hope to get lucky, and we did,” said Guelph, ON resident McNair, who also drove the filly to a win in the July 4 Grassroots opener at Clinton Raceway.
The driver’s father, Gregg McNair of Guelph, trains A Blue Blood for Matthew and Roy Trelford of Mildmay, ON.
The three-year-old trotting fillies will make their last regular season Grassroots start at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Sept. 21. The top 20 point earners will then compete in a pair of Semi-Finals on Oct. 1, with the top five finishers from each Semi-Final earning a berth in the Grassroots Championship at the Campbellville oval on Oct. 9.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Sept. 3 with the fourth Gold Series Leg for the two-year-old pacing fillies. Friday’s card of racing also features the Casual Breeze stake for three-year-old trotting fillies.
(OSS)
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.