by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — A fresh crop of 2-year-old trotting talent will take to the stage at Mohawk on Sunday night (July 5) in two C$64,467 divisions of the Robert Stewart Stakes.

Angus Hall daughter Ruling Class is the 6-5 morning line pick in the first of the two splits, based on her confident performance in her first qualifier on June 22. She was a $40,000 yearling purchase at last fall’s Harrisburg sale for owners Bob and David Anderson, Harry Locke, and Parkhill Stud Farm, and John Bax does the conditioning.

Also worth watching in this division is Keystone Ballerina, another Angus Hall offspring sent out by trainer John Kopas. With two qualifiers under her belt, this youngster has been rated at 9-2.

Two Striking Sahbra fillies are favored in the second Robert Stewart split. Honest As, a chestnut pupil of Anette Lorentzon, has qualified twice at the Meadowlands, and has been rated at 2-1, while Bob McIntosh’s homebred Exquisitelycrafted dominated in both of her baby races at Mohawk in June, stepping home nearly eight lengths ahead of her compatriots in her second effort on June 22. She’s been assessed at 9-5.

Anything can happen when 2-year-old trotting fillies debut, so be prepared for some interesting racing action in Sunday evening’s Robert Stewart divisions. Theyre scheduled as races one and two, post times 7:30 and 7:50 p.m.

Pacing fillies try their wings in Robert Stewart on Monday

The freshman trotting lasses have their turn on Sunday, and on Monday night at Mohawk it’s time for their pacing counterparts to go behind the gate, many for the first time, in two C$95,200 divisions of the Robert Stewart stakes.

Two fillies who have already squared off in one lifetime start — Theta Blue Chip and Rockn Highland — have been installed as the morning line favorites in their respective divisions on Monday.

Gord Irwin both owns and trains Theta Blue Chip, who has been rated at 6-5 in the second Robert Stewart split (race three, post time 8:05 p.m.) on the strength of her smart 1:56.3 effort in winning that preliminary C$17,000 contest on June 29.

A daughter of Western Terror, Theta Blue Chip had a hefty $105,000 price tag at last fall’s Harrisburg sale, while Rockn Highland, from the first crop of North America Cup champion Rocknroll Hanover, was a comparatively modest $45,000 but she was a confident second in her initial pari-mutuel start, and goes into her Robert Stewart division (race one, post time 7:20 p.m.) at even money. Ross Hardy trains the filly for Highland Thoroughbred FRM.

Is there a fresh new superstar in the midst of these green pacing lasses? Find out on Monday night as the Robert Stewart Stakes goes postward at Mohawk.

‘Jersey’ dreams of a repeat in Town Pro

Trainer Tracy Brainard has three powerful entries in Monday night’s second leg of the Town Pro pacing series for sophomore fillies, in Brooklyns Best, Withheld Info, and Fashion Week but if anyone is equipped to play giant killer, it’s opening leg winner Jersey Dream, who will be sent postward by conditioner Rene Laarman.

A daughter of Artiscape, Jersey Dream boosted her earnings past the C$100,000 mark with last week’s authoritative score in the series opener, in which she held off My Red High Heels by a head in 1:54.1. It was her first start for Laarman and her first taste of the Mohawk oval after tackling several New Jersey Sires Stakes events this spring at The Meadowlands. Lifetime, she has racked up five wins, three seconds, and a third in 12 starts, and is rated the marginal 2-1 favorite going into her C$20,000 leg of the Town Pro sequel (race two, post time 7:40 p.m.).

My Red High Heels, meanwhile, has been made the morning line second choice in her split of the Town Pro (race six, post time 9:04 p.m.). Sired by Modern Art, she has been first or second in each of her last five starts, and conditioner Dave Tyrell has her sharp and primed for a big effort here.

However, she’ll have to contend with Blair Burgess pupil Apricot Brandy, a Real Desire lass who was also a winner in the series opener last week, and improved her lifetime mark to 1:55 in the process. She’s been given the nod as the 5-2 favorite in this match-up.

The C$58,000 (est.) final of the Town Pro series goes next Monday, July 13.