MILTON, Ont., Sept. 28 — After rallying off cover to a 13-1 upset in her final Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots preliminary event at Grand River Raceway 12 days ago, Tellers Choice took the short route to victory in the $75,000 OSS Grassroots Final for two-year-old trotting fillies on a rain-soaked Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Tellers Choice floated forward at the race’s outset and settled in fourth through a :27.1 opening quarter before driver Louis-Philippe Roy angled her out to take aim at early pace-setter Ibelieveinangels (Green Manalishi S) up the backstretch. After clearing the lead at the completion of a :57.3 first half, Tellers Choice kept the tempo backed down while uncontested through a :30 third sectional.
After straightening up for home, Tellers Choice powered clear of her nine rivals in the final eighth and won by the better part of five lengths in a lifetime best 1:56.1. Ibelieveinangels, driven by Travis Cullen, finished an isolated second; Rich Girl (Tyler Borth) narrowly held third over Wings Of Green (Trevor Henry) after enjoying a three-hole ride.
“I felt like every time she moved to a different track, she wasn’t trotting as well,” said Roy, referring to breaks Tellers Choice made at Hiawatha and Hanover in earlier stakes engagements. “When she comes here, she’s a different filly. She’s easy to drive here. I did pretty much what I wanted with her.
“On the first turn, I thought I was going to lose her, but the more the mile went, the more comfortable she was. She showed again that when everything is alright with her, she’s a good Grassroots filly.”
Luc Blais trains Tellers Choice, a daughter of The Bank-Tosca, who has now won three of nine career starts and banked $59,950 for Determination.
Sent off the 3-5 favourite, Tellers Choice paid $3.30 to win.
FEATURED PHOTO: Tellers Choice winning the $75,000 OSS Grassroots Final for two-year-old trotting fillies on Sept. 28, 2024 at Woodbine Mohawk Park
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