from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — On Thursday evening (July 30) the 2-year-old trotting fillies hit the halfway point in their Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots season and Toss It Back edged out to a narrow lead in the division point standings with her second straight win.

Lining up at post eight on the Mohawk Racetrack starting gate, driver Phil Hudon sent Toss It Back straight to the front and the filly rolled to a :29 opening quarter. The pair continued unchallenged through a :59.2 half and 1:29.2 three-quarters and held on in the stretch for a half-length victory in 1:58.3. Bahama Mama AS and Anneli Hanover finished second and third.

“She’s a nice filly. She raced a little green down the lane, she was getting a little tired,” noted Hudon. “She’s great gaited and has a good head on her. She has the potential to be a nice filly.”

Hudon engineered both of Toss It Back’s Grassroots victories for trainer Pat Hunt and his partner Leo Fleming. Thursday’s 1:58.3 clocking was a new personal best for the Majestic Son daughter, who was a $6,500 purchase at the Harrisburg yearling sale last fall. With two wins and one fourth in the first three Grassroots events, Toss It Back has tallied 108 points in the race for a post season berth.

Hot on Toss It Back’s heels are three fillies with 100 points, including Its All About Sam, one of two winners harnessed by Scott McEneny on Thursday’s Grassroots program.

Its All About Sam and driver James MacDonald took command of the sixth division heading for the halfway marker and never glanced back, cruising home 2-1/2 length winners in 1:58. Mariana, who also has 100 points from one win and two seconds in Grassroots competition, and Dewdle All Day completed the top three.

“She’s a big, strong filly. She was well within herself tonight, had tons left finishing,” said MacDonald. “She definitely could step up a lot more; she has finished strong in every start.”

MacDonald was also in the race bike for the Angus Hall daughter’s July 7 Grassroots win at Georgian Downs, and for her runner-up effort against the Gold Series fillies at Mohawk last Thursday. Scott McEneny conditions the filly, a half-sister to $484,147 winner Strong Hope, for his wife Michelle McEneny, Brad Grant and Teresa Davidson. The partners acquired the filly for $10,000 from last year’s Harrisburg yearling sale.

McEneny’s second winner came in the seventh Grassroots division when Sylvain Filion piloted I Want Kandy to a 1:59.3 score over Jangone and Favourite Mission. Although the Angus Hall miss cruised home a 3-3/4 length winner, Filion felt she was not at her very best.

“She won pretty easy, but she felt like she was a little weaker than usual. Even last week, I thought she was a little weak at the end of the mile. They thought she might have been a little sick and I think she’s not quite over it yet,” said Filion. “I’m sure next time you see her race, you’ll see a different filly.”

Filion piloted I Want Kandy to a fourth-place finish in the Gold Series at Mohawk last Thursday, after winning a 2-year-old conditioned event at the Campbellville oval on July 16. I Want Kandy was a $13,000 purchase at Harrisburg for Michelle McEneny, Brad Grant and Teresa Davidson.

Also pursuing Toss It Back is Magical Steph, who clocked the quickest mile of the seven Grassroots divisions, halting the timer at 1:57.1. The Kadabra daughter and driver Steve Byron bested Major Muscle and Liseberg by 4-3/4 lengths.

Thursday’s victory was Magical Steph’s second straight in Grassroots action after she logged a fourth in the Gold Series season opener. Gary Lance conditions the full sister to $425,805 winner Cold Certified for his partners in GL Racing Inc. and offered up $50,000 for the filly at Harrisburg last fall.

Malibu Seelster kicked off the Grassroots show with a 1:59 score for driver Trevor Henry and trainer Dan Creighton. The Holiday Road lass bested Life Strikes and Tala Seelster by 4-1/2 lengths, stopping the clock at 1:59.

“She’s very aggressive, we’ve just been trying to teach her,” said Henry, who engineered the filly’s first lifetime win for Rob Creighton and Frank Gentile. “She can be a handful off the gate.”

Cadillac Sally captured the second division with a quick move off the gate that landed her in the pocket spot behind Norstar Seelster. When the pacesetter drifted off the rail in the stretch driver Doug McNair sent Cadillac Sally up the pylons and the Muscle Mass daughter trotted home to a quarter-length victory in 2:00.

“She’s getting better each start,” noted McNair, who crafted the trip for his father, trainer Gregg McNair, and owner Jarold Hawks. “It helped tonight that she didn’t draw in very tough. There are some nice Grassroots trotters around, that’s for sure.”

The other Grassroots trophy went home with Jarette AS, who was an impressive 4-3/4 length winner in 1:58.2 for driver Billy Davis, trainer Anette Lorentzon and owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB. The Striking Sahbra daughter bested The Muscle Touch and She’s In Gear.

The 2-year-old trotting fillies make their fourth Grassroots start at Georgian Downs on Aug. 8.

Grassroots action continues at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday evening, with five divisions for the 3-year-old pacing colts.