WINDSOR, ON — Freshman trotting filly O U Girls eked out her second lifetime victory and her first in stakes action with a 2:02.1 effort at Windsor Raceway on Sunday evening.
The Bob McIntosh trainee and driver Mike Saftic stalked pacesetter Chloe K through fractions of :28, :58 and 1:29.1 before taking control of the pace around the final turn. On top by a length and a half at the top the stretch, O U Girls fought hard to keep a neck in front of long shot Kings Angel and Al Cullen as the fillies roared under the wire. Third-place finisher C R Image was more than nine lengths behind the battling front runners.
La Salle resident McIntosh shares ownership on O U Girls with Ariel Stables of North York and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH. The partners acquired the Angus Hall daughter for $115,000 at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale and have recouped $15,978 of their investment through the filly’s six starts this season.
“Mr. OSS” Dave Wall made a pair of appearances in the winner’s circle during Windsor’s Ontario Sires Stakes showcase Sunday evening. The veteran reinsman teamed Emerald Tortilla and Cassatt to victory, surpassing the $50 million mark in career earnings in the process.
Wall eased the unpredictable Emerald Tortilla off the gate, sitting eighth through the early going, and then started to reel in horses heading for the three-quarter pole. By the top of the stretch the pair were on top by a length and a half and they simply powered away from the field through the final strides to hit the wire six and a half lengths on top in 2:03. Favourite Billabong was second, while Canadian Diva recovered from interference at the three-quarters to earn the third-place finisher’s share of the $20,727 purse.
Trained by Gary Bourgon for Erkki Laakkonen of Georgetown, Emerald Tortilla boosted her season totals to one win, two seconds and $30,757 in earnings with the win.
One race later Wall opted for a very different strategy with heavy favourite Cassatt, trotting to a wire-to-wire victory in 2:02 over Hetties Charm and Desi Sweet Sixteen. Undefeated in Grassroots action this season Cassatt heads into the Oct. 24 Grassroots Semifinal as a heavyweight contender. Charalambos Christoforou of Campbellville owns and trains the Earl daughter, who has not been bested since a Gold Series event on Aug. 20 and has finished no worse than third through six starts.
The other Grassroots divisions went to SOS Hotshot in 2:02.2 and Fiesty Kindof Luv in 2:01.1.
The three-year-old pacing fillies took over centre stage in Races 10 and 12, with Jasper Avenue scoring a 1:54 upset over local favourite Please Me Please in the first Trillium Series division. In classic come-from-behind style Jasper Avenue and Paul MacDonell sprinted down the stretch to score the head victory, the fourth in the Village Jasper daughter’s 11 race season.
Bill Robinson trains Jasper Avenue for owner-breeder William Loyens of London, while Bob McIntosh, Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell own Please Me Please. Penny Artcade picked up the final spot on the board.
Last year’s Grassroots champion Wendys Rocket posted her second victory of the season with an impressive come-from-behind effort in Race 12 that saw her circling three-wide at the three-quarter pole. Once clear of the traffic jam, Wendys Rocket pulled away to a three and a half length victory over Shoal Lake and Shes So Lucky, tripping the Windsor teletimer at 1:56.3.
Hall of Fame horseman William “Bud” Fritz trains and drives the Pacific Rocket daughter for Bloomingwood Farms Ltd. of Harriston.
Sunday’s event wrapped up the Trillium Series season for the three-year-old pacing fillies, while the top 16 point earners from the two-year-old trotting filly division head to Western Fair Raceway on Oct. 24 for their Grassroots Semifinals.
Ontario Sires Stakes actions is back at Windsor Raceway on Wednesday, Oct. 15 with the final regular season Grassroots event for the three-year-old trotting fillies.