Tellers Choice drew post eight in the first of three $20,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions at Grand River Raceway on Monday (Sept. 16), but the Luc Blais student did not let her post nor her odds deter her from trotting off to victory in 1:56.4.
After meeting for their fifth leg on Monday, the freshman trotting fillies are set to square off in the consolation on Sept. 27 and final on Sept. 28 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Rich Girl (Bob McClure) was early out of the gate and determined herself as the pacesetter for the mile. While she doled out quarters in :27.3, :57.2, and 1:27, Tellers Choice (Louis-Philippe Roy) was making up ground from a start in fifth. Tellers Choice was locked out at the first quarter, found space in fourth at the half, moved back out before the three-quarters, and zoomed home with the swiftest final fraction to win by a length in 1:56.4. Race favourite Green Glider (Trevor Henry) had to settle for second while Rich Girl completed the triactor.
The freshman daughter of The Bank and the Muscle Mass mare Tosca is owned by Determination of Montreal, Que. She won her second race in eight career starts and moved her bankroll to $22,450. With 14-1 odds going to the gate, Tellers Choice returned $29.70 to her backers.
Incantation ($2.60) made her move early in the mile and charged home to take the second OSS Grassroots by a half length in 1:57.3 with Garrett Rooney holding the lines for Jeff Williams. Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. co-owns the Muscle Mass - More Magic filly with Tyrone Valley Farm. She notched her third win in eight starts, producing $61,887 in earnings in her young career.
The final OSS Grassroots division of the night went to Eartha K ($12.30) and Garrett Rooney, who bested their field of seven trotters in 1:58 by a neck at the wire. Stephen Bossence trains the freshman Muscle Mass - Ella filly for Derek Reid, Dr. Robert Boyce, Richard Thompson, and E C S Racing LLC. She moved her tally to 1-3-2 from seven starts with $27,800 banked.
Two Pop Up Series divisions for horses not averaging $650 per start in 2024, with a minimum of 10 starts, were contested on the card as the first leg of the series. Each division carried a $6,500 purse in which the lion's share was captured by Easily The Best (Travis Henry, $8.50) in 1:54 and Mossies Art (Samuel Fillion, $15.30) in 1:54.1.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Grand River Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)