September 27, 2024
By Ontario Sires Stakes Communications
The last time we saw Tricky Wicky it ended in disappointment for the two-year-old pacing filly, who sits atop the Grassroots Series leaderboard.
A homebred of David and John Prushnok (Indiana, Pa.), the daughter of McWicked has been a dominant force all season long, winning all of her Grassroots starts with the exception of her last one out on Sept. 17 when she finished fourth, well behind winner Lady Café Au Lait (Big Jim), who won the event by 4-1/2 lengths.
Considering her dominance this season, one defeat doesn’t seem like all that big a deal. However, with the Grassroots Finals going this Saturday, any crack in what has been an invincible veneer is noteworthy to Tricky Wicky’s competitors who are also vying for the winner’s share of that $75,000 Grassroots Championship pie.
Unfortunately for that competition, while anything can happen, there’s good logic explaining the uncharacteristic result from Tricky Wicky last week.
First off, she didn’t have the best post position, starting at the rail.
“Being on the inside here [at Woodbine Mohawk Park] is a tough assignment,” said driver Jody Jamieson.
“I wasn’t really disappointed in her but maybe disappointed in the trip I got,” Jamieson added. “I was kind of out the whole way, pretty much. I just thought she might have fired a bit, but I did give her a lot of work to do.
“So, I was happy with the effort, but it’s got to be better for the final.”
And there’s good reason to believe that there will be better effort for the final as, according to trainer Rene Dion, Tricky Wicky may not have been 100 per cent herself last week.
“The last Grassroots she didn’t seem to fire off like the way she’s been,” said Dion. “And, actually, I do have a few horses who are sick in the barn, and she was a bit sick.”
Heading into Saturday, Dion is sure that Tricky Wicky will be back to full health and ready for the season-ending showdown.
“I do have confidence in her for the weekend coming.”
Dion also just has great confidence in Tricky Wicky’s ability to turn it on when it matters, as that’s just her personality.
“Between training and racing, she’s two different horses,” Dion said. “When she trains, she has a tendency to be a little mellow. She does what she has to do, but that’s it.
“When you put her in the race and in the groove, she’s ready to go when she’s with other horses.”
Dion took over training Tricky Wicky in July, taking over for Pennsylvania resident John Butenschoen when she made her way north across the border.
Tricky Wicky’s put up four wins, all in Grassroots action, across seven lifetime starts and has earned $43,760 so far in her young career, with $41,600 coming from Grassroots events alone.
She’s entering her Race 3 Saturday with 9-2 morning odds and will start from Post 3 of a 10-horse field.
FEATURED PHOTO: Tricky Wicky winning a Grassroots Series race on Aug. 17, 2024 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)
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