from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Mohawk Racetrack welcomed back the 2-year-old pacing fillies on Monday (Aug. 24) for their fourth Grassroots event and fans were treated to six impressive performances.

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Paul MacDonell won two Grassroots divisions on Monday, including the fastest with Good Will Hanover, who cruised home in 1:53.2.

Good Will Hanover scored the quickest win of the evening, romping to a 1:53.2 score in the second $13,680 division for driver Paul MacDonell. Starting from post six, the fan favorites sailed through fractions of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:25 and then accelerated away from the field to a 6-1/4 length victory. Glorious Delight and Active Lady paced under the wire in second and third.

“I just got her, about a month ago I guess,” said trainer Dr. Ian Moore. “She came up from Truro, Nova Scotia. Danny Romo and Bernard “Pooker” McCallum were training her down there, and she came with a history of being pretty fiery. I guess she’d wrecked a couple of jog carts and been a little difficult.”

Moore found the Big Jim daughter’s warning label an accurate one, but he said she has started to improve with a steady diet of training and an introduction to racing.

“The more I worked her, she just got better and better. She’s gotten real good for me at the farm now, she’s been excellent. She just seems to be a very excitable filly and it doesn’t take much sometimes to set her off,” said Dr. Moore. “She’s kind of a handful, but she’s definitely got a lot of speed and is a powerful filly. So other than being a bit fiery we have something to work with, that’s for sure.”

Good Will Hanover, who was a $15,000 purchase from the Harrisburg yearling sale by GLB Stable, won her career debut at Mohawk on Aug. 17 in 1:53.2 after one schooler and a pair of qualifiers over the Campbellville oval. Her connections will now have to decide whether to remain in the Grassroots program or make the leap up to the Gold Series for the last two regular season events.

“Paul (MacDonell) said tonight, he thinks she’s a Gold and he said he thought she could have went in 1:51 tonight, so If he’s saying that, that’s usually pretty good,” noted Dr. Moore. “She impressed me the first time I went with her at Mohawk, that’s for sure.

“The girl next to me there tonight, she had a blue (Gold Series) cooler on, and I said we haven’t got any blue ones this year we’ve just got the green (Grassroots) ones,” continued Dr. Moore with a chuckle. “Hopefully this filly will get us a blue one.”

In addition to piloting Good Will Hanover to the quickest win of the night, MacDonell also crafted the second fastest mile with Party In Rome in the fourth division. The duo hit the wire 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Mayhem Seelster in a personal best 1:53.4. St Lads Smokin Hot was four lengths back in third.

“Good Will Hanover was very strong tonight, and Party In Rome was a pleasant surprise and showed some high end ability,” said MacDonell after his second Grassroots win.

The win was the second straight for Party In Rome, who posted her first victory in an overnight event at Grand River Raceway on Aug. 19. Another daughter of first-year sire Big Jim, Party In Rome was a C$17,000 acquisition from the Canadian Yearling Sale by Bill Manes, William Cripps and Steven Papillon. Gerald Lilley conditions the filly, who was making her second Grassroots and fourth lifetime start.

Carl and Jody Jamieson teamed up to capture the last two Grassroots divisions with Im In Luv and Noone To Depend On.

Jody Jamieson crafted a second-over trip for Im In Luv and the filly was able to reel in pacesetter Bad In Paradise in the stretch, halting the timer at 1:55.1. Favorite Bad In Paradise settled for second and Miss Print completed the top three.

The win was the first this season for Badlands Hanover daughter Im In Luv, who was purchased by Carl Jamieson, Tom Kyron and George Harrison for $19,000 at the 2014 Harrisburg yearling sale.

In the final Grassroots division the younger Jamieson and Noone To Depend On appeared to be locked in on the rail when the reinsman found a sliver of racetrack and the filly roared out from between horses to a two length victory in 1:54.2. Not Depressed and favorite Icthelight Hanover completed the top three.

The win, Noone To Depend On’s first of the season, was truly a family effort as the Santanna Blue Chip daughter is owned by Carl Jamieson and his daughter Brandy Jamieson.

“They’ve been real tough luck fillies all year, both had small issues that caused them problems,” said Jody Jamieson of Im In Luv and Noone To Depend On. “Both were much better tonight and it showed as they both were well meant winners.”

Division point leader Bourbon Seelster scored her third straight Grassroots victory in the first division on Monday. The Camluck miss and Mike Saftic got a pocket trip behind favorite Buttermilk Hanover and reeled in the pacesetter in the stretch to claim a 2-3/4 length victory in a personal best 1:55. Dancin Inthe Nude got up for second, leaving Buttermilk Hanover to settle for third.

Bourbon Seelster, flawless through three Grassroots appearances, is trained by Robert Manders for Scott and Keith Manders.

The other Grassroots trophy went home with Sports Expert, who rocketed out of the backfield in the stretch to record her second victory. Favorite Divas Image finished a half-length back in second and Rosy Outlook was third in the 1:55.1 mile.

The clocking was a personal best for Sports Expert, who won her first Grassroots trophy at Georgian Downs on July 19. Doug McNair pilots the Sportswriter daughter for trainer Blake MacIntosh, Touch Stone Farms and 30 Plus Stable.

The 2-year-old pacing fillies will return to Mohawk Racetrack for their fifth Grassroots event on Sept. 1.

On Tuesday (Aug. 25) the Campbellville oval will welcome the 3-year-old trotting fillies for their fifth Grassroots event. The trotting lasses will be featured in races two, three, five, seven, and 10, with racing getting underway at 7:25 p.m.