There were six $18,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots events for rookie trotting fillies on Saturday night at Georgian Downs and the fastest of the winners was Mystical Brat, who broke her maiden in a sharp 1:57.4.
With Mario Baillargeon at the controls, Mystical Brat was on top through fractions of :29.1, :58.4, and 1:27.4 before she coasted home in :30 seconds flat to win the second of the six splits by half a length over a closing Wing Flash (Wayne Henry). Its A Hotty (Garrett Whelan) finished in third.
The win was the first in four attempts for the daughter of Muscle Mass-Caseys Lil Lane. Mystical Brat is trained by Tony Alagna for owner/breeder Mystical Marker Farms LLC of Dyer, Indiana.
Mystical Brat finished off a siring daily double for Muscle Mass as his My Mini Snickers and driver Trevor Henry won the first Grassroots test by three-quarters of a length in 1:58.3. Cum Laude Hall (Baillargeon) was the runner-up and Winem (Mike Saftic) collected third.
My Mini Snickers is trained by Ryan Maxwell for owner Ronald Phillips of Petersburg, Illinois. Also bred in Illinois by Patrick Graham, My Mini Snickers, whose dam is the Chocolatier mare Milky Way, posted her second victory from four starts and she has now banked $15,980.
Henry also drove the front-stepping Between The Cheats the a 2:01.4 triumph in the fifth Grassroots event for co-owner/trainer Scott McEneny and co-owner Michelle McEneny of Waterdown, Ont.
Making her fourth start, the Deweycheatumnhowe-True Love filly broke her maiden, winning by one length over the closing Delcrest Flexyhall (Paul MacKenzie) and Flexceptional (Steve Byron). She was bred by Peninsula Farm Inc. and Arden Homestead Stable.
Baillargeon also had a double as he guided Summers Jewel to a 1:59 triumph in the third Grassroots dash. Striking Ivy (Keith Oliver) tried the eventual winner from first-over at three-quarters but had to settle for second and Fiery Eyes (Steve Byron) nabbed third.
This was Summers Jewel’s second success at the Grassroots level, following up her victory on July 15 at Mohawk Racetrack. Trainer Ben Baillargeon of Rockwood, Ont. also owns the filly and he bred her along with C Tremblay Holding Inc. Summers Jewel, an Angus Hall filly who is now an earner of $22,320, is the first foal out of the Self Possessed mare Winters Jewel.
Also taking home Ontario Sires Stakes hardware were:
—Hope Rises (Windsong Espoir-Norena-Keystone Nordic), who was a 1:58.1 victor for driver Scott Coulter, trainer Kelly Goodwin, and owners/breeders Deborah Spike-Pierce of Lexington, Kentucky and Madelon Spike of Jerome, Michigan.
—Pinky The Intern (Pilgrims Taj-No Magic To It-Kadabra), who triumphed in 1:59.2 for driver Steve Byron, co-owner/trainer Dustin Jones of Waterdown, Ont., co-owner 9177 8720 Quebec Inc. of Saint-Sauveur, Que., and co-owner Gordon Pupil of Laval, Que.. Pinky The Intern, whose dam was an OSS Grassroots winner at two and a Gold elimination winner at three, was bred by Tara Hills Stud Ltd.
The next Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event for two-year-old trotting fillies will take place next Sunday (August 17) at Clinton Raceway.
(With files from OSS)
