Grand River Raceway hosted sophomore trotting fillies in a pair of $22,200 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions on Wednesday night (Sept. 7) with Socks N Crocs and Resolving both exiting victorious.
Driver Doug McNair circled Socks N Crocs to the lead in the first division after a :28.2 first quarter to pocket Grace approaching a :57.2 half. Muscle Up The Gold marched uncovered on the rim to challenge Socks N Crocs to three-quarters in 1:27 but promptly retreated rounding the final turn. Socks N Crocs cruised home a 2-1/2-length winner in 1:57.1 with Saint Antoine overtaking Grace for second.
Co-owned by trainer Gregg McNair with M&s Racing Stable Inc., Dean Lockhart and Paul Kidd, Socks N Crocs won her third race from 16 starts and has now earned $74,481. The daughter of Resolve paid $3.20 to win.
Another daughter of Resolve took the other Grassroots division when Resolving strode to a 1:57.4 win. The Rob Fellows trainee, in rein to Travis Cullen, cleared control after a :28.4 first quarter and coasted uncontested through a :59.1 half and to three-quarters in 1:28.1. She kept her competition in behind through the lane to post a two-length win over pocket-sitter Halo It Heaven with Say Something third.
Resolving races for owners N. Yolanda Fellows, Blair Corbeil and Edward Wilson. She won her fifth race from 18 starts and has now earned $175,340. She paid $7.20 to win.
Travis Cullen, in the race prior, led every step with Jodie Cullen trainee Exotic Dragon to take the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap in 1:54.3. The four-year-old Custard The Dragon mare parked Saulsbrook Jessie through a :26.3 first quarter to earn the lead and strolled through a :56.1 half under minimal pressure. Ladies From Hell mounted a first-over push to three-quarters in 1:25.3 but lost ground in the final turn. Exotic Dragon only had to fend off Saulsbrook Jessie in the stretch, and kept that rival at bay by three-quarters lengths while Ladies From Hell gave pursuit from third.
Winning her 17th race from 47 starts, Exotic Dragon has now earned $229,992. Travis Cullen co-owns the mare with Ronald Cullen and Paul Sanders. She paid $2.80 to win.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Grand River Raceway.