ELMIRA, ON — After spending the fall learning to wear a harness, the winter improving their fitness level and the spring fine-tuning their skills, the two-year-old pacing fillies are ready to make their Grassroots debut at Elmira Raceway on Monday.
Most of the youngsters will arrive at the half-mile oval with just one or two qualifiers under their belt, while others have already braved the starter’s call. Among the fillies making their provincial debut after just one qualifier are Streetwise Hanover and My Terrific Girl.
Streetwise Hanover will make her bid for Grassroots fame from Post 6 in the fourth race. The Run The Table filly is trained by Murray Brethour for Paul Lindsey of Fergus, Lorne Brethour of Sunderland and Barry McClennan of Cavan and the partners are looking forward to the filly’s first outing.
“She’s good gaited, willing and a big mare,” says Lindsey. “She learned her lessons well over the winter, now we’ll have to see how good she is.”
Lindsey and his partners selected Streetwise Hanover out of the Harrisburg Yearling Sale last November for $20,000 and the longtime owner says she is for sale.
“We’ve been known to push them along. If she looks good it’s more than likely that she’ll get a new address,” he says. “The big thing is to see who she can beat.”
Among the fillies Streetwise Hanover will have an opportunity to best are two that competed in a Trillium Series event at Georgian Downs on June 25. O See My Bo logged a fifth-place effort and will start from Post 5 on Monday while Individual Gal, who will start from Post 7, finished sixth.
Like Streetwise Hanover, My Terrific Girl drew an outside post for her Ontario Sires Stakes debut. The Cam Terrific daughter will start from Post 7 in the sixth race.
A $14,000 yearling purchase at the Canadian Classic Sale, My Terrific Girl qualified in 2:04 on June 22 at Mohawk Racetrack over a soggy track rated two seconds slower than normal. Owner-trainer Carman Nickel was pleased with the filly’s performance, but like Lindsey he knows the competition will be tougher at Elmira on Monday.
“She qualified good, but a lot of them did,” says the Elmira resident. “She’s got good conformation and she’s a nice pacer, hopefully she’ll do all right.”
My Terrific Girl will face two fillies with the Trillium experience under their belt, while the others head into the event of qualifiers.
Racing excitement begins at 6:45 pm at Elmira Raceway and the two-year-old pacing fillies are slated as Races 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.