WOODSTOCK, ON — Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Woodstock Raceway on Saturday afternoon with four divisions of three-year-old trotting fillies competing in Trillium Series action.
Among the 29 fillies looking to earn a share of the $64,578 Trillium lucre is one of last year’s top Grassroots fillies, Taffeta Seelster, who starts from Post 3 in the first race. Through five starts this season the King Conch daughter has already posted runner-up finishes in a May 25 Trillium division at Dresden Raceway and a Flamboro Breeders Stake contest on June 22. She was third in the Grassroots season opener at Quinte Raceway on May 19 and in an overnight event at Flamboro Downs on June 13.
“She raced extremely well Sunday night in Flamboro. We were in the Flamboro Breeders and we were second,” says James Massey of St. Mary’s, who shares ownership on Taffeta Seelster with Henry Stables of Arthur. “She’s handy on a half-mile track because she can leave good, so hopefully she will handle Woodstock on Saturday.”
Massey’s partner Ross Henry handles training duties on Taffeta Seelster and Wayne Henry has driven the filly in all her starts this season, but they count on Massey to be there on race day to help get the young trotter ready to compete.
“Shelley, Wayne’s wife, does her at home, but at the races they always have enough that the ones I own, I get ready,” says the long time owner, who will make the trip back from his Long Point vacation home to complete Saturday’s pre-race chores.
Part of the routine that Massey follows with Taffeta Seelster before each race includes an unconventional hitching method not covered in any of the standard training manuals for trotters and pacers. The stubborn filly does not like to be hitched to the race bike before her first warm-up mile so Massey and the Henry team have learned to hook her up on the fly.
“I lead her and two people come up behind her with the cart and just snap it on, and we never check her up the first trip,” explains Massey. “Thank god for the quick hitch.”
Once Taffeta Seelster returns from stretching her legs the first time Massey says she is a model citizen in the paddock, ready to focus her attention on the business of racing. Among the fillies she will face on Saturday’s matinee card is I Dream Of Daisy, who is trained and co-owned by Massey’s long time friend Russell Ellery of St. Pauls Station.
“When we went to Sudbury last year we called it “The Battle of Downie” because we all live in Downie Township,” says Massey with a chuckle. “And we have a party before Christmas every year where we all show our race tapes.”
Starting from the trailing Post 8, I Dream Of Daisy is among the favourites in the first race based on a sharp 1:59.2 victory at Hiawatha Horse Park on June 21, but Massey hopes Ellery and his co-owners Alex Strathdee of St. Pauls Station and Thomas Strachan of Mitchell will have to relive a loss to Taffeta Seelster at this year’s edition of the post-season party.
The Massey and Ellery fillies kick off the 1:15 pm program at Woodstock Raceway Saturday, with the other three divisions slated as Races 7, 8 and 12.