SARNIA, OCT. 29, 2001 — Dale Hunter likens the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championship to the Stanley Cup of harness racing, and the former NHL star is hoping to find himself in the Hiawatha Horse Park winner’s circle hoisting a crystal trophy over his head after the fourth race on Thursday night.
Hunter’s filly Lady Byng captured her Semifinal last week and, after drawing the two-hole in the $100,000 Final, is positioned to walk away with all the goodies from the three-year-old trotting filly contest.
“All summer we go to the Hanovers, the Woodstocks, the Bellevilles, and this is kind of like the Stanley Cup Finals or the OHL Cup Finals for the Grassroots group,” says Hunter, who assisted Hiawatha Race Secretary Ian Fleming and fellow NHL-er Paul Ysebaert with the draw on Monday afternoon. “It’ll be tough. When you’re down to eight and it’s the Finals it’s never going to be easy. It’ll be whoever’s sharpest at the time and gets the perfect drive.”
Hunter hopes that trainer Peter Core can replicate the steer he gave Lady Byng in the Semifinal round when he went straight to the from Post 2 and sailed under the wire unchallenged in 2:00.3, an impressive mile over a track rated two seconds slower than normal and in -1 degree Celsius weather.
“I didn’t think she was going to go that well, but Peter said she was sharp training and she went to the lead and never relinquished it,” says the Petrolia resident, who shares ownership on the Earl daughter with his father Richard of Oil Springs. “I said to Peter, “I was a little worried around the three-quarter pole there that she was going to get tired,” but he said, “No, no, I was confident at that point.”
“She’s raced pretty well. She’s not very big, but she has a big heart and that’s all we ask. We’re pretty happy with her,” he adds.
Lady Byng faces the cream of the three-year-old trotting filly division in Race 4, including the other Semifinal winner Sweet Dreams Baby who will start from Post 5.
Attending the draw also proved to be good luck for Ysebaert, whose pacing filly Hurtin N Flirtin will start from Post 3 in Thursday’s eighth race.
The Camluck lass finished second in the Semifinal behind her former stablemate My Kinda Cam and while Ysebaert acknowledges that last week’s winners might be tough to beat he is confident Hurtin N Flirtin will deliver one of the solid performances that has earned her $130,779 in the last two seasons.
“The two fillies that won this past week, My Kinda Cam and Private Session, they’re top fillies so I’m not looking for anything drastic to happen,” says the Mooretown resident, who shares ownership of Hurtin N Flirtin with trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor, Al McIntosh of Leamington and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH. “If we can suck along with one of those two and be there at the end I’ll be happy with her. She’s one of the type of horses that gives 100 per cent every time, if not more.”
Both Hurtin N Flirtin and My Kinda Cam may have trouble collaring Private Session, who was a six length winner last week in 1:57.2 and rides into town on a three-race win streak that includes an Oct. 6 Gold Final victory. Owned by Kevin Isaac of Bridgenorth and trained by Rick Fife, the Dexter Nukes lass will start from Post 2 in the $100,000 pacing filly Final.
Londoner Daryl Roberts also drove to Sarnia to attend to special post position draw on Monday and left with a smile on his face when his pacing colt Warrawee Comet was assigned the rail in the tenth race.
“Jody (Jamieson) will be able to get away wherever he wants to, probably get in the middle of the pack and look for some cover,” says the trainer. “All year he’s been better coming from behind. He can leave too, but he’s better off if he’s got somebody in front of him to block the wind.”
The Pacific Rocket son smoked the field last week with a 1:55.2 effort in spite of the high winds, cold temperatures and off track and Roberts expects the colt to deliver another sharp mile on Thursday over what has become his favourite racetrack.
“He’s raced good down at this track all summer. London (Oct. 19) was a little disappointing, he came first up and didn’t really have a kick, but he rebounded good last week down here,” says Roberts, who trains the winner of $78,599 for his partners David Baliunas of Dorchester, John Kwiatkoski of London and Rick Zeron Stables of Oakville. “He raced really good. He came up the backstretch in about 27 seconds.”
Savor The Memory, the second entry of the Championship program hailing from Bob McIntosh’s barn, captured the other pacing colt Semifinal and will start from Post 4 on Thursday.
The trotting colts will battle for their division championship in Race 6 with Semifinal winners Hetties Valley and Twin B Sporty drawing Posts 1 and 2.
Hiawatha Horse Park kicks off the OSS Championship Night at 7:10 pm with the Grassroots showdowns going postward in Races 4, 6, 8, and 10.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SANDRA SNYDER AT 519-656-2017 (TEL./FAX) OR smsnyder@sentex.net.