from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Clinton, ON — Freshman trotting fillies dropping down from the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division to the Grassroots level proved successful in several of Sunday’s (Aug. 17) C$18,000 divisions at Clinton Raceway.

That moved proved the ticket for Gee Okeeffe in the opening division. She traded the top position with Dewy Take A Selfie through fractions of :31, 1:03 and 1:32.2 and was home first with a two length cushion in 2:03. Superbowl Sunshine closed well to take second while Dewy Take A Selfie was third.

Chris Beaver trains the winner, a daughter of Holiday Road-Matina Vita he co-owns with breeder Wilbur Lang. Gee Okeeffe was notching her second win in five tries this year, winning a Gold division on July 23 at Grand River Raceway.

That same shift also proved beneficial for Desis Dream, who made her first Grassroots appearance after three Gold starts. She went gate-to-wire for Steve Byron in :30, 1:02.3 and 1:32.4 and held off Giona to win by a neck in 2:03.4. Dolce Far Niente was third.

John Bax trains the winner, a daughter of Muscle Mass-Desi Seelster, co-owned by Parkhill Stud Farm with breeder Glengate Farms. This was Desis Dream’s first lifetime win in five tries.

In the third division the field was reduced to five starters with the scratches of Magical Lass and Magic Dancing. Summers Jewel and Mario Baillargeon set the early tempo of :30.4 and 1:03. Judy The Beauty came up to challenge past the half and kept pressure on the leader the rest of the way but Summers Jewel hung tough to win in 2:04.4. Judy The Beauty had to settle for place while Moon Dance took third.

Baillargeon’s brother Ben trains and co-owns the winner, a daughter of Angus Hall-Winters Jewel who was recording her second straight Grassroots victory and third overall. She came into Sunday’s event sitting third in the Grassroots standings with 124 points behind Stay In Touch and Judy The Beauty who were tied for first with 137.

Mario was back on top early in the next split with first time starter Flexyandiknowit who hit the opening quarter in :31.3. Just past that marker Mass Rail was taken out from third to challenge the leader and overtook her just past the half in 1:03. However, she quickly had a challenger in My Mini Snickers by the 1:33.3 third panel. Mass Rail fought back but was hauled down late by My Mini Snickers and James MacDonald, who hit the wire first in 2:03. Mass Rail was second with Tymal Fireitup third.

It was the second straight Grassroots victory for the Muscle Mass-Milky Way daughter owned by Ron Phillips and trained by Ryan Maxwell.

It was the same scene in the fifth division as Mario had Zorgwijk Philly on top early and hit the opening panel in :31. Dustin Jones sent Pinky The Intern up to challenge before the half but Zorgwijk Philly maintained the lead and was by the third panel in 1:32. Despite pressure on the outside and inside Zorgwijk Philly was at the wire first in 2:05 over Delcrest Flexyhall and Pinky The Intern.

It was the first OSS start and first win for the Southwind Lustre-Formal Pleasure daughter owned and trained by Wayne Langille.

Other winners in the Grassroots divisions this afternoon were Winem, a daughter of Kadabra-Winlite trained by Mike Keeling for owner Paula Wellwood and driven by Mike Saftic and Wing Flash, also by Kadabra out of Armbro Everlasting, who went gate-to-wire for trainer Wayne Henry, who co-owns with Daylon Farms, to win in 2:04.

This group will meet again in Grassroots action on Sept. 9 at Mohawk. To view the results from Sunday’s races please click here.

Her Own Land pads Grassroots lead

With her closest competition Shadows Wonder opting to race in the Gold Series, Her Own Land boosted her advantage in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots point standings with a 1:52.3 tally in one of five C$18,000 divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday evening at Georgian Downs.

Driver James MacDonald had Her Own Land up to grab the front at the :27.3 opening quarter in the fourth Grassroots split. Her Own Land would then go on to hit the half in :55.2 and the three-quarters in 1:24 on her way to the victory. She defeated runner-up Bet Ya (Jack Moiseyev) by 2-1/2 lengths with Badlyinclined (Chris Christoforou) back in third.

Dave Menary trains Her Own Land, a filly by Blissfull Hall, for owner Hutt Racing Stable. Her Own Land has three wins in Grassroots company and four wins from 11 starts overall this year. Now a five-time winner in her career, Her Own Land has earned C$53,990 in 2014 and C$63,550 lifetime.

Menary also sent out Stellllllla, the winner of the Grassroots opener in 1:54 with Chris Christoforou in the bike. She took the lead from first-over before the 1:25 three-quarters and then drew away from the competition from there, eventually winning by seven lengths. Exhilarated (Sylvain Filion) finished second and Shes A Hotmama (Scott Coulter) grabbed third.

The victorious daughter of Mister Big is a homebred for Daryl Sherman. She won for the first time from nine efforts this season, and she has four career triumphs. She has put away C$15,640 on the campaign and C$52,486 in her life.

Christoforou picked up another victory in the next Grassroots event as Dana Dearest turned a second-over trip into a 1:54.3 tally. Missevil (James MacDonald) came in second and Double Joy (Sylvain Filion), the leader through splits of :27.3, :56.2, and 1:25.1, held third.

Dana Dearest, a daughter of Jereme’s Jet, is trained by Casie Coleman for owner/breeder Charalambos Christoforou. Dana Dearest was winless in four starts last year, but she’s turned it around in her sophomore campaign, going six-for-12. She has season’s earnings of C$53,820 and a career bankroll of C$58,048.

The remaining two Grassroots flights went to the father/son team of driver Doug McNair and trainer Gregg McNair. Their first victory came courtesy of Regally Ready (1:53.4) in the third section and then Momara (1:55) took the nightcap.

Regally Ready is a Royal Mattjesty filly owned by Hutt Racing Stable. She has four victories from 12 attempts this year and she has six career wins. She has pocketed C$41,060 in 2014 and C$82,398 in her life.

Gregg McNair also bred and co-owns Momara, a daughter of Lis Mara, with partners Len Gamble, Don MacDonald and David Kryway. She scored her initial 2014 win in her eighth try and she now has seven career triumphs. She has put C$22,639 in the bank for her connections this year and she has earned C$94,273 lifetime.

The 3-year-old pacing fillies of the Grassroots Series will be back in action on Aug. 25 at Mohawk Racetrack. For full results and charts of Sunday night’s events at Georgian Downs, please click here.