(Photo of driver Jody Jamieson and Myretirementticket courtesy of New Image Media)
Conditions were not ideal for their third Grassroots event, but Ontario’s three-year-old trotting fillies still turned in some impressive performances at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening.
The 11 fillies in the third $18,000 division paraded onto the racetrack in the driving rain, but neither the weather nor Post 9 kept Myretirementticket from picking up her second straight Grassroots trophy. In rein to Moffat resident Jody Jamieson, the fan favourite watched from the outer lane while second choice Powerful Glare carved out the mile, then powered down the stretch to a one and one-quarter length win in 1:59.3. Powerful Glare stayed game for second and Silky Flashy Nfast closed hard to be third.
“I actually went over after the race to say ‘Hi’ to her and she wasn’t happy to see me at all. I think it was because of the trip I gave her,” quipped Jamieson. “She didn’t see the rail the whole way, but I was never more confident in a horse as she sloshed along in the pouring rain.”
Eli Wagler of Ingersoll bred, owns and trains Myretirementticket. The daughter of Cornaro Dasolo and Shine Again was also victorious in the July 1 Grassroots event at Dresden Raceway and finished second in the June 14 season opener at Mohawk, giving her 125 points and top spot in the division standings. In seven sophomore starts the filly now has two wins, one second, two thirds and earnings of $24,468. As a two-year-old Myretirementticket was a three-time Grassroots winner, including her Semifinal, and finished third in the season-ending Championship.
“She’s a sweetheart to drive and I’m hoping Eli (Wagler) gives the Gold a try soon,” Jamieson added.
Two races later, Haileysgonedancing jumped up the point standings with her very first Ontario Sires Stakes win. Although the rain had stopped, the racing surface was still rated sloppy, three seconds slower than normal, but that fact did not deter driver Sylvain Filion from sending Haileysgonedancing straight to the front from Post 9. The Manofmanymissions daughter slogged through fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28 on her way to a one and one-half length win in 1:58 over Sunrise Avenue. Very Classy finished third.
“She’s a good honest filly, she gives everything she’s got,” said trainer Tony O’Sullivan. “She’s honest as the day is long.”
The Puslinch resident shares ownership of Haileysgonedancing with Kirk McKinnon of Brampton and Lorne Keller of Exeter, ON. Although she missed the board in the Grassroots season opener, the filly was a hard fought second in the Dresden event and Thursday’s victory moves her into fourth spot in the division standings with 78 points.
“The Grassroots is a good spot for her,” noted O’Sullivan. “She’s done a good job.”
Flanking Haileysgonedancing in the point standings are Could It Be Magic and Magical Steph, who also captured their Grassroots divisions on Thursday.
Could It Be Magic kicked things off in the first $18,000 division, reeling in pacesetter Trumpets in the stretch and reaching the wire in 1:59.4. Majestic Mistress closed hard to finish second, one and one-half lengths behind the fan favourite, while Trumpets held on for third.
Wayne Henry of Arthur drives, trains and shares ownership of Could It Be Magic, who was a three-time Gold Series winner at two, with Fred Brayford of Alliston, ON. Thursday’s win was the first of the season for the Kadabra daughter, and combined with her runner-up finish in the Grassroots season opener gives her a total of 75 points.
Henry’s brother Trevor piloted Magical Steph to victory in the second division, sending the heavy favourite to the front before the halfway marker and cruising home in 1:59.2. Pocket-sitter Stonebridge Peace finished one and three-quarter lengths back in second and Profound Patience recovered from an early break to be third.
It was the second straight Grassroots win for Magical Steph, who is trained by Gary Lance for GL Racing Inc. of Port Perry, ON. The Kadabra daughter currently sits second in the standings with 108 points, 17 behind Myretirementticket.
The evening’s final Grassroots contest went to Anneli Hanover, who sprinted down the stretch to reel in favourite Magical Valentine and Traviata in a personal best 1:58.1. Guelph resident James MacDonald engineered the two and three-quarter length win for trainer Mark Steacy of Lansdowne and owners Katherine Steacy of Lansdowne, Landmark 8 Racing Stable of Kingston, David McDonald of Cornwall and Barry White of Ottawa, ON.
“I didn’t really want to cut it, because I saw she got beat a couple times on the front,” said MacDonald, who was making his first appearance in the Majestic Son daughter’s race bike. “So I landed in the two-hole, and I ended up in the three-hole, but around the last turn she felt good and when she got room she just flew, she won very easily.”
The win was the filly’s first in Ontario Sires Stakes action, but her fourth on the season. After going winless at two, Anneli Hanover boasts a sophomore record of four wins and one second in nine starts for earnings of $22,500.
The sophomore trotting fillies will return to Mohawk Racetrack for their fourth Grassroots start on August 9.
On Friday’s program Mohawk puts the spotlight on the two-year-old pacing colts, who will wage their second Grassroots battles in Races 2, 7, and 8. Post time for the first race at the Campbellville oval is 7:30 pm.
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