Drivers Jody Jamieson and Trevor Henry each won a trio of races on the Tuesday, July 20 program at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and two of their wins came in two-year-old pacing filly Grassroots action.
Jamieson opened the program with an effortless score behind Motovation in the first $22,500 Grassroots division. Starting from Post 1 with the fan favourite, Jamieson allowed Motovation to settle briefly in third before taking command heading for the :58 half. Comfortably in front past the 1:27.4 three-quarters, Motovation pulled away to a two and three-quarter length victory in 1:56.4. Bikini Genie finished second and Straight Talker was third. (Replay — Motovation)
“Motovation had a win already and she was very handy again tonight,” said Jamieson.
The Sunshine Beach daughter earned her first victory in an overnight event for two-year-old pacing fillies on July 15, touring the Woodbine Mohawk Park oval in 1:56. Phil Hudon trains Motovation for owner-breeders Hunter Sellars of Brampton and Michael Kwietniowski of Guelph, ON and has been impressed with the filly in all of her outings.
“She’s a nice filly, has a big heart. I thought she raced huge her first start, so I thought she would be good, but she sure is impressive,” said Guelph resident Hudon. “Her first start she was a little grabby off the gate, but she looked like she sat pretty good in the hole today and then when he moved her to the front she was pretty classy.”
Jamieson scored his second Grassroots win, and third victory of the night, in the last division with Warrawee Xpat. Starting from Post 9, Jamieson hustled the filly off the gate and had her in front by the halfway marker. Once in command Warrawee Xpat was able to cruise home to a 1:55.1 win, three lengths ahead of favourite B My Sunshine. Dixie Bayama rounded out the top three. (Replay — Warrawee Xpat)
“Xpat is just a little peanut,” said Guelph resident Jamieson. “To go parked past the quarter and still win the way she won really shows her talent.”
Gabriella Sasso trains Warrawee Xpat for Jeffrey Courchesne of Cambridge and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga, ON. The Sportswriter daughter now has one win and one third to her credit through the first two Grassroots events and has earned more than double her $6,000 purchase price from last fall’s Ontario Select Yearling Sale.
Trevor Henry guided Let Me Be Me to the fastest mile of the five Grassroots divisions, touring the Woodbine Mohawk Park oval in 1:54.4. Henry floated the Thinking Out Loud daughter away from Post 1 and then sent her after the lead heading for the :57.3 half. One and one-half lengths ahead of her peers at the 1:27 three-quarters, Let Me Be Me had doubled that margin by the time she sailed under the wire. Sake Tumi finished second and favourite Big Bettor Hanover was three more lengths back in third. (Replay — Let Me Be Me)
“She raced really great. She kind of surprised me tonight,” said Henry. “She raced good last week, but with everything her own way tonight she definitely found a new gear. Bob’s (McIntosh) horses always get better as the year goes on.”
Windsor resident Bob McIntosh trains Let Me Be Me for his co-owner/breeder Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington, ON. The filly scored her first lifetime win in a July 13 overnight at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Henry scored his second Grassroots win, and third of the night, in the fourth division with Flo. Like Let Me Be Me, Flo was on top by the half and battled down the stretch to a 1:56.1 victory over Watch Her Fly. Favourite Velvet Stinger was able to salvage third after a pair of miscues. (Replay — Flo)
“She’s a big filly,” said Arthur, ON resident Henry. “She raced good and should only get better.”
Dr. Ian Moore of Cambridge trains Flo for Wilma and James MacKenzie of Ennismore, ON and said the Shadow Play daughter has been something of a surprise. In addition to Tuesday’s win, Flo finished seventh in the July 6 Grassroots season opener at Georgian Downs and currently sits atop the freshman pacing filly leaderboard with 75 points.
“I think her original name was something like Bunker Babe and that’s just kind of the way she’s built. She’s just a great big, thick, round thing. She trained in the last set all winter, our worst one,” said Moore, adding that the filly was a prolific kicker through her early lessons. “But she’s gotten better and better. She’s just going to be a Grassroots horse, but if she can win one or two here or there that will be all right. I don’t know if we’re going to make it to Clinton and places like that because she’s so big, but the ones that are here we will have no problem.”
The two-year-old pacing fillies will make their third Grassroots start back at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Aug. 13. Flo will likely skip the fourth event over Hanover Raceway’s half-mile on Sept, 4, but she will be ready for action when they return to Woodbine Mohawk Park for the last regular season leg on Sept. 20.
The other Grassroots blanket went home with Delight Bayama, who posted a 1:55.3 win for driver Sylvain Filion of Milton, trainer Jean Tourigny and owner-breeder Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, QC. Shezis A Beauty finished one and one-half lengths behind the Bettors Delight daughter in second and Rhone Hanover was five lengths back in third. (Replay — Delight Bayama)
Complete results from Tuesday’s program are available here and replays can be viewed on Woodbine Mohawk Park’s YouTube channel.
Grassroots action for the three-year-old pacing fillies is next on the Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Ontario Sires Stakes schedule, with four divisions slated for Thursday, July 22. Fans can download a program, watch the live stream or make a reservation to attend in person on the Woodbine Mohawk Park website.
(Photo of Motovation and driver Jody Jamieson courtesy New Image Media)
More Top Racing Headlines