ELMIRA, ON — Trainer Ross Henry will harness a two-year-old trotting filly in each of five Grassroots divisions at Elmira Raceway on Friday night. The Arthur resident sends out an impressive contingent with four fillies ranked among the top 16 in the division and one making her first Grassroots start after battling the Gold Series fillies earlier in the season.
Odee Angelina kicks off the Henry Stable parade in the first race, where she will make a bid for a second straight Grassroots win from Post 2. Breeder Ray Odorico of Limehouse shares ownership on the Royal Ballad daughter with Ross, Wayne and Trevor Henry and the long time Standardbred owner is hoping Odee Angelina can add to the four top three finishes she has posted in Grassroots action.
“She has been doing all right. I just hope she can keep it up,” says Odorico. “And I hope the weather stays good.”
Most of the owners would prefer temperate conditions for Friday night’s contest, but Odorico has an added reason for appealing to Mother Nature. The 70-year-old will be in the backstretch helping the Henry’s staff care for Odee Angelina before and after her race.
“I usually get up and paddock a bit,” he explains. “I like working with them, and then you feel like you’ve contributed a little bit.”
Odee Angelina currently sits in third spot in the division standings with 112 points after four Grassroots starts, right behind stablemate Zorgwijk Dutchess, who will start from Post 7 in the sixth race.
Zorgwijk Dutchess comes in to Friday’s event off a runner-up finish in the Sept. 1 Grassroots at Clinton Raceway. She posted wins in the season opener at Hiawatha Horse Park and the Aug. 21 event at Hanover Raceway to give her a total of 125 points and a share of second-place with Zorgwijk Delmonica.
James Laverty of Sauble Beach shares ownership on the Valleymeister daughter with the Henry Stable and the partners have earned a tidy $19,845 return on the $7,000 investment they made to acquire the filly at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale.
Taffeta Seelster sits just 50 points off the pace her stablemate has set and will attempt to add to her 75 points from Post 5 in the seventh race. After butting heads with the Gold Series fillies in July and August, Taffeta Seelster dropped into the Grassroots on Aug. 21 and posted a 2:03.2 win, then followed up with a second-place showing to division leader Designable in the Sept. 1 event.
The Henry’s and partner James Massey of St. Marys acquired the King Conch daughter for $12,000 at the Forest City Sale and Taffeta Seelster has returned $24,634 in seven starts.
The other Henry trainee currently ranked in the Grassroots top 16 is Powerline Crystal, who returns to action for the first time since a victory in the July 4 season opener. NGA Powerline of Brantford bred and owns the Wesgate Crown lass, who will start from Post 1 in the second race.
The final member of the Henry contingent is St Lads Abby, who will make her Grassroots debut from Post 5 in the ninth race. After starting the season in the Gold Series the Incredible Abe daughter took a vacation from the racing scene, returning on Sept. 13 with a solid qualifying effort at Mohawk Racetrack.
The Henry Stable owns St Lads Abby, who repaid her $6,500 purchase price with a win in her first start, a Trillium Series division at Sudbury Downs on June 29.
Elmira Raceway sends its first race down to the start at 6:45 pm and the Henry fillies, along with 31 of their two-year-old trotting filly peers, will take centre stage in Races 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9.