Marcel Barrieau pupil Grandeur Seelster paid the highest win mutuel and travelled the fastest mile of the four Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies at Grand River Raceway on Wednesday night (Sept. 14).
Driver Austin Sorrie floated Grandeur Seelster off the wings from post seven to race fourth to a :27.3 first quarter set by favourite Bettors Punch. But when the pacesetter slowed proceedings towards a :59.1 half, Sorrie sent Grandeur Seelster after the leader and ranged to take over the lead to three-quarters in 1:27.3. From there, the daughter of All Bets Off scooted clear to a five-length win in 1:55.3 over Best Actress with Bettors Punch finishing third.
Grandeur Seelster races for owners Gestion Mastel Inc., Marcel Barrieau and Courtney Gallant. She won her second race from six starts and has now earned $34,762. She paid $28 to win.
One Last Wish won from pillar to post in the first Grassroots division. The filly by Bettors Delight pushed for the front from the pylon post and set a clip of :27.3, :58.2 and 1:27.3 while enduring mid-race pressure from Pa Delight. She repelled that challenge spinning for home to cross the finish 1-1/2 lengths better than Carla Cam rallying for second. Pa Delight took third.
A homebred for Brian and David Legge, One Last Wish won her second race from eight starts and has now banked $27,736. Paul MacDonell steered the $11.20 winner for trainer Ken Sucee.
Cheese So Pretty pressed first over to seize the lead and score in the third Grassroots split. Driver James MacDonald sent the Anthony Beaton trainee off the pegs after a :28.1 first quarter and progressed towards the front through a :59.4 half and through three-quarters in 1:28.4. Matching strides with pacesetter and favourite Brynley Seelster around the final turn, Cheese So Pretty then put her main threat away in the lane to win by 2-3/4 lengths. Chakka finished third.
Anthony Beaton co-owns Cheese So Pretty with David Mercer and David Lumsden. The daughter of Betterthancheddar won her third race from nine starts and pushed her bankroll to $47,016. She paid $6.20 to win.
The last Grassroots split — and last race on the card — went the way of an upset with Twin B Echo sliding through off a pocket trip to land at 12-1 in 1:58.1. Driver Jody Jamieson secured the covered trip for the Jack Darling trainee behind pacesetter and favourite Glenboro, who bore pressure on the lead after a :28.2 first quarter and through middle splits of :59.2 and 1:28.2. Glenboro kept fighting off the bottom corner, but Twin B Echo shot through the open stretch to snag a neck victory with Bala rallying from second over for third.
Jack Darling Stables Ltd. owns Twin B Echo, a daughter of Artspeak. She won her second race from six starts, has now earned $23,196 and paid $26.70 to win.
On the undercard of the Grassroots, the four-year-old Custard The Dragon mare Exotic Dragon emerged victorious in the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap Pace. Driver Travis Cullen overcame the assigned outer-most post to collar pacesetter and odds-on choice Beach Moment by a head at the finish of a 1:55.4 mile. Jodie Cullen trains the 18-time winner and earner of $234,992 for owners Travis and Ronald Cullen and Paul Sanders. She paid $9.10 to win.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Grand River Raceway.