Ontario’s talented two-year-old pacing fillies returned to Grassroots action at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Aug. 13 and looked sharp in all five $22,150 divisions.
Shanghai Seelster captured the first contest with a pocket trip in behind pacesetter Motovation. Starting from Post 2, driver Doug McNair tucked the filly in behind Motovation as she rang up fractions of :28.1 and :58.2 and then tipped out heading past the 1:27.1 three-quarters. Motovation put up a fight, but Shanghai Seelster got a head in front at the 1:55.1 finish. Winx closed for third and favourite B My Sunshine was fourth. (Replay: Shanghai Seelster)
“She’s getting better each week. She has a nice, big gait and she’s learning,” said McNair, who was a head short with the filly off a similar trip in an Aug. 5 overnight. “Last week she hung a little bit in the stretch, this week she got by just enough to win. I hope she stays on the right track.”
The Guelph resident steers Shanghai Seelster for his father, trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph, and owner Steve Heimbecker of Waterloo, ON. The win was the first lifetime for the Bettors Delight daughter, who was a $151,960 purchase out of the 2020 London Virtual Yearling Sale.
In the second division Morethanmyhometown sprinted from sixth to first in the final quarter to post a 1:55.4 win in her Ontario Sires Stakes debut. Her stablemate, the betting favourite Crème Delight, was second and Sake Tumi was third. (Replay: Morethanmyhometown)
“She’s a little filly with a big heart,” said driver Chris Christoforou. “She was uncovered for most of the second quarter, picked up some live cover around the half and was very determined in the stretch; a big effort.”
Campbellville resident Christoforou piloted the Hes Watching daughter to the win for trainer Murray Brethour of Sunderland and owner Peyton Scott of Douro-Dummer, ON. Although new to the provincial stakes program, Morethanmyhometown is no stranger to the winner’s circle. She was victorious at Grand River Raceway on July 23 and Georgian Downs on Aug. 7.
Driver Sylvain Filion put Delight Bayama on the front before the halfway marker in the third division and the Bettors Delight daughter dug in down the stretch to hold off fan favourite Velvet Stinger in a personal best 1:54.1. Ribbon Ridge was two lengths behind the duelling leaders in third. (Replay: Delight Bayama)
“I’m always happy to win with one of my dad’s,” said Milton, ON resident Filion, whose father Yves Filion’s Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, QC bred and owns Delight Bayama. “She’s a very nice filly out of Rebeka (Bayama) and she’s still green, so she should improve.”
Jean Tourigny of Becancour, QC trains Delight Bayama, who is the third foal from $731,637 winner Rebeka Bayama. The filly was also victorious in the July 20 Grassroots Leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park and a July 8 overnight at Woodbine Mohawk Park, giving her a record of three wins and one second in four lifetime starts.
Favourite Dewitt For Josie scored her second Grassroots win in the fourth division, delivering a gritty effort up the outer lane that saw her squeak by pacesetter Novella Seelster at the 1:55.1 finish. A photograph was required to separate the duelling fillies, who finished one length ahead of St Lads Bijou. (Replay: Dewitt For Josie)
“She’s a nice big filly. When I first sat behind her I was impressed,” said driver Louis-Philippe Roy of Guelph, ON. “She is full of talent, but she sometimes lacks in her willingness. Tonight she felt really good coming first up, I thought she would win easily, but she kind of stayed nose-to-nose with the leader.
“I’m happy with the win, but I think she has the talent to be more dominant,” he added.
Rockwood resident Rene Bourassa trains Dewitt For Josie for Gilles Caouette of Sudbury, ON. The Sportswriter daughter opened her career with a win in the July 6 Grassroots Leg at Georgian Downs and Roy drove her for the first time in the July 18 Gold Series Leg at Georgian, where she finished third.
Warrawee Xpat wrapped up the Grassroots portion of Friday’s program with a 1:55 gate-to-wire victory over Girl Scout Cookie and Galleria Seelster. The win was the Sportswriter daughter’s second in Grassroots action and, added to a third-place result in the season opener, puts her at the top of the division standings with 112 points. (Replay: Warrawee Xpat)
Doug McNair stepped into Warrawee Xpat’s race bike for the first time on Friday, steering the fan favourite to the personal best effort for trainer Gabriella Sasso of Cambridge and owners Jeffrey Courchesne of Cambridge and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga, ON.
“I was Johnny-on-the-spot. Jody (Jamieson) had to go race in Indiana and I didn’t have one in the race, so I got to drive her,” said McNair of the assignment. “She’s not very big, but she does everything right; just a sweetheart to drive.”
The two-year-old pacing fillies will have their next chance to pad their point totals when the Grassroots program stops at Hanover Raceway on Sept. 4.
Compete results from Friday’s program are available here and replays can be viewed on Woodbine Mohawk Park’s YouTube channel.
Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Saturday (Aug. 14) evening program features two $99,800 Gold Series divisions for the two-year-old pacing colts, slated for Races 2 and 6. Fans can download a program and watch the live stream on the racetrack’s website or register to attend in person at https://woodbine.com/mohawk/guest-registration/.
(Photo of Warrawee Xpat and driver Doug McNair courtesy New Image Media)
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