There was certainly no shortage of speed Monday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, as three-year-old fillies were burning rubbed on the Campbellville oval in a quartet of OSS Grassroots divisions.
Upfrontwhosurlady, who didn’t have much luck in four tries versus Gold Series foes earlier this year, dropped to the Grassroots level and was a convincing winner in her $18,000 division for the tandem of driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Jeff Gillis. Jamieson rode second-over cover with the daughter of Whosurboy-Western Shuffle in the back-half of the contest before brushing past the leaders and drawing clear to win by 3-3/4 lengths over Lyonssweetie in 1:51.2. Hippie Chic took home the bronze medal.
Sent off as the 2-1 favourite, it was the third win of the season and the fifth to date for the career winner of $118,025. She is owned by Up Front Racing LLC of Amherst, OH.
Raise Your Glass broke out of a sophomore slump in the second division for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Anthony Monica. The daughter of Santanna Blue Chip-Gamblers Daughter, who was first or second in eight of last year’s 11 starts, had yet to win eight starts this year prior to Monday’s hard-closing performance. She kicked off cover turning for home and got up in the final stride to win by a nose over Senorita Santanna in a career-best clocking of 1:52. Taking home third prize was race favourite Western Empress.
Monica shares ownership on the homebred with Mike Timpano of Phelpston, ON, and together they’ve watched her construct a career record of 4-6-1 from 20 trips postward. Her share of the $18,000 purse lifted her lifetime earnings to $137,142.
Betit To Getit nabbed her third OSS Grassroots victory of the season in the third division for the team of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Ben Wallace. The daughter of No Pan Intended-I Will Survive sprinted to the top and successfully whacked out panels of :26.4, :56.1 and 1:24 before snapping home in a :28-second clip en route to the one-length triumph in a career-best clocking of 1:52. The division’s leading point earner, Mattys Big Day, was next best, with Godiva Seelster taking home third prize.
Holland Racing Stable of Aurora, ON owns the 13-time winner, who has put together a 12-4-3 record from 21 trips to the track this season. She’s banked more than $90,000 this year, and her lifetime total stands at $106,255.
Burlesque, who was making just her second start for trainer Carmen Auciello since last month’s private purchase by Wheelhouse Racing Stable of Mississauga, ON, rumbled to a new lifetime mark of 1:51.4 in the final division. Billy Davis, Jr. launched off cover at the head of the lane and the daughter of Mach Three-Little Black Dress fired home in a :28-second clip en route to the impressive win. She was 2-1/4 lengths up on runner-up Windsong Jacoba, with Miss Machqueen finishing third.
It was the first win of the year and just the second tally in 27 lifetime tries for the career winner of $95,952. She was a $14,000 purchase from last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.