When James Kay and Fred Clark saw Milliondollarjewel at the Summer Sizzler Sale, the Hamilton, ON residents saw a filly with potential to succeed in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, and they are hoping the two-year-old pacing miss proves them right with a strong effort in her $20,000 Grassroots division at Flamboro Downs on Friday.
"Fred and I always go to the sales, and we are always looking for buys," notes Kay, who handles training duties on Milliondollarjewel. "And there's a lot of upside with this horse. For the price he paid for her, I definitely think it was worth giving her a shot."
Clark anted up $5,700 to acquire the filly from the Summer Sizzler sale, and she has already returned $1,000 of that with a fifth-place finish in the September 7 Grassroots event at Rideau Carleton Raceway. Heading into Friday's contest, Kay says the Million Dollar Cam daughter seems to be on her game, having fully recovered from a virus that was dogging her earlier in the month, and sporting some new equipment.
"I made an equipment change on her bridle for Friday and she seems a little sharper, a little more on her toes," explains Kay. "We have to pull out every little trick to get her enough points."
In her first four Grassroots starts Milliondollarjewel logged one third and two fifth-place finishes, giving her a total of 25 points. The current cut of for one of 16 spots in the October 17 Semifinal is 50 points, so a strong showing in Friday's skirmish and in the regular season finale at Western Fair Raceway on Oct. 10 would extend the filly's season.
"You cross your fingers and hope you're covering all the bases," says Kay.
"I hope she makes going to London for the last one an exciting venture," adds the trainer. "If she can get within arms length it will make it a trip worth taking."
Scott Coulter will steer the filly from Post 5 in Friday's eighth race, and the pair face off against a seasoned field of Grassroots competitors including former division winners Orally Yours and Grin A Peg, who will start from Posts 3 and 6, respectively. Kay thinks the field is easier than the one the filly faced at in the Rideau Carleton event, and does not see Post 5 as a handicap.
"I don't think the five-hole hurts her too much, she's not a lightning bolt off the gate," he explains. "And she definitely isn't a horse that quits."
Flamboro Downs will play host to seven Grassroots divisions on Friday evening, with the first $20,000 contest rolling in behind the gate at 6:00 p.m. The other divisions are slated as Races 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 11.
To view Flamboro's Friday entries, click here.
(OSS)