(Photo of Sylvain Filion and Spirit Shadow courtesy of New Image Media)
Driver Sylvain Filion, the reigning Lampman Cup title holder, is off to another quick start in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, padding his early season lead with a pair of Grassroots victories at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening.
Filion opened the program, which featured six $18,000 divisions for the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, with a sharp 1:51.4 win aboard Spirit Shadow.
“I didn’t know him at all,” said Filion of the first-time OSS starter. “I know the trainer, he’s a buddy of mine, Jacques Dupont, and he said he liked him. I just went with my feeling and he left the gate real good, and then we got covered up by the favourite and when I moved him down the lane he just exploded. That was a nice surprise, I didn’t really expect that.”
Leaving from Post 8, Filion rolled Spirit Shadow to the front before the :27 opening quarter, but quickly picked up cover from Vegas Dream who led the field to the :56 half and 1:25 three-quarters. Able to slip out of the pocket in the stretch, Spirit Shadow laid down a :26.2 final quarter to claim the Grassroots trophy. Vegas Dream settled for second, with Chalk Player earning the third-place finisher’s share.
Unraced at two, the Shadow Play son now has four wins and two thirds in eight sophomore outings for Dupont and owner Denis Goyette of Laval, QC.
Filion’s second victory came in the third division with Xpert Bayama, who controlled the tempo en route to a 1:51.2 score over last year’s Grassroots champion St Lads Moonwalk. Solo Story finished well behind the duelling leaders in third.
“I thought he was a little flat last time he raced and Stephane (Larocque) told me he done some vet work on him and he was much better tonight,” noted Filion, a three-time OSS driving champion. “I could feel in the post parade he was livelier, and he was way more aggressive, so I just turned him loose and he responded well.”
Also unraced at two, Xpert Bayama improved his record to three wins and one second in six starts for trainer Stephane Larocque of Carlisle, ON and owner-breeder Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, QC. The Up The Credit son took three full seconds off his personal best with Thursday’s effort.
Another three-time Lampman Cup winner, Moffat, ON resident Jody Jamieson, also scored a Grassroots driving double at Mohawk on Thursday, guiding Continual Hanover to a win in the second division and Imsporty to victory in the fifth.
Jamieson put Continual Hanover on the front just past the sharp :26.3 opening quarter put up by Filion and Azul Pool, but was immediately challenged by Baddestnbestest. Both Jamieson and Filion quickly circled out around the longshot leader, with Continual Hanover grabbing the rail by the :55.3 half. Azul Pool pressed hard through the 1:24.1 three-quarters, but Continual Hanover stayed game to secure the two length victory in 1:52.2. Tango Star sprinted home to be second, leaving Azul Pool to settle for third.
“I really couldn’t have driven Continual (Hanover) much worse in his first start of the year,” admitted Jamieson. “I used him too many times and he still bailed me out with a great performance. I’ve always thought he is barely a notch lower than the Gold division.”
Jamieson steers Continual Hanover for owner-trainer Jack Darling of Cambridge, ON and piloted the colt to a Gold Series win and two Grassroots division wins last season. The Bettors Delight son boosted his lifetime earnings to $117,400 with Thursday’s win, his sixth in 13 lifetime starts.
Staring from Post 1 with Imsporty in the fifth division, Jamieson settled the Sportswriter son on the rail early and waited until the final turn to take aim on the leaders. On top by just over three lengths at the three-quarter pole, Imsporty stayed game to the wire and earned his first Grassroots trophy with a 1:52.2 effort. Speedling and Daylight Rush completed the top three.
“Imsporty is a super little guy,” said Jamieson, who steers the gelding for his father, trainer Carl Jamieson of Rockwood, ON, and Thomas Kyron of Toronto. “He’s always had lots of talent, but he just hasn’t had a lot of luck. Hopefully this win tonight has ended that string of luck and started a new one.”
The other two Grassroots divisions went to New Talent and Piranha. Guelph, ON resident Paul MacDonell steered New Talent to his first OSS win for trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor and his partners C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH and Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington, ON. The Mach Three son stopped the teletimer at 1:51.2, besting Derecho and Bad Gamer.
Driver Trevor Henry of Arthur, ON used a come-from-behind strategy to guide Piranha to a 1:52 win for trainer Raymond Farmer and owner-breeder John Turigliatto of Temperance, MI. The Badlands Hanover son reeled in Red Dog Saloon and B Fast Eddie with a :26.3 final quarter.
The three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will return to Mohawk Racetrack on July 1 for their second Grassroots start. Ontario Sires Stakes action continues at the Campbellville oval this week as the three-year-old pacing fillies kick off their Grassroots season on Friday, June 17. The fillies will be featured in Races 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10, with the first race going postward at 7:30 pm.
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