DUNDAS, ON — A total of $400,000 is on the line at Flamboro Downs on Sunday evening as the top three-year-old Grassroots competitors return to the Dundas oval to compete in their season ending Championships.
“It will be a lot tougher this week, especially going for $100,000. Everybody will be putting the pedal to the metal,” says Joe Stutzman, who sends Semifinal winner O See My Bo after her share of the provincial lucre in the pacing filly Final. “It’s going to be an exciting race. It’s a pretty competitive bunch.”
O See My Bo captured her Semifinal last week with a picture perfect steer from driver Don McElroy that saw her stalk pacesetter Lucky Irma through the mile and then step out in the stretch to claim the victory in 1:57.2, over a track rated one second slower than normal. The Bo Knows Jate daughter returns to Post 3 for Sunday’s Championship and Stutzman, who leases the filly from owner Douglas Lovely of London, hopes she can also duplicate last week’s result.
“I was really happy with Post 3. That is about the perfect hole for her,” says the Campbellville resident. “Don McElroy got her the perfect trip last week. If he could get a trip like that again this week, you couldn’t ask for more than that.”
Among O See My Bo’s toughest competition will be the other Semifinal winner Feathery Fame, who will start from Post 2 in the sixth race.
McElroy, who has captured the Lampman Cup as the top driver in the Ontario Sires Stakes program for the last two years, is in a heated battle for this year’s award with Ross Battin. Battin gets one of his best chances to pad his four point lead in the trotting filly skirmish aboard Armbro Amaze.
“It would be nice if she topped $100,000 this season, I think third would put her over,” says trainer Frank O’Reilly. “And I’d like to see Ross win that (Lampman Cup), he’s got to be close.”
Armbro Amaze captured her Semifinal with a two and one-quarter length victory in 2:00, and also returns to the same post she had last week, starting from Post 4 in the second race. O’Reilly shares ownership on the King Conch daughter with John Fielding of Toronto and John Jesson of Tillsonburg, and the Orton resident was relieved to see her finally achieve success over the Flamboro half-mile.
“Up until the other night she’s never ever had any luck at Flamboro,” he notes. “I think the only blemish on her program right now is a break at Flamboro (June 22).
“So I’m just glad to be going, that’s for sure. And if Ross can get her around and get a prize we’ll be real happy.”
Semifinal winner Northern Pixie will challenge Armbro Amaze from Post 7, while the regular season point leader Designable starts from Post 1.
Both Battin and McElroy have legitimate shots at victory in the trotting colt battle, with Semifinal winners Jayport Express and Ethen Seelster. Flamboro oddsmakers have given the early edge to McElroy and Ethen Seelster based on the colt’s impressive 2:01 victory from Post 7 in the Semifinal, assuming that the Mr Lavec son will be able to deliver the same result from the same post on Sunday.
In spite of the colt’s success from the outside post position last week, trainer Bob McIntosh is a little more cautious about Ethen Seelster’s chances.
“He raced good last week, but you push your luck every time you’re out there,” says McIntosh, who led all trainers in the Ontario Sires Stakes program in 2001 and 2002. “He’s about 17 hands, one of the biggest Standardbreds I’ve ever trained, so for him to get around a half-mile track the way he does is pretty amazing.”
The veteran trainer may be the only person hoping for a return to cooler weather over the weekend, noting that Ethen Seelster’s best performances have all occurred on cool fall nights.
“He gets better when the weather gets cooler. I think he’s an allergy horse,” says the La Salle resident, who conditions the colt for partners Dave Boyle of Bowmanville and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH. “Last year he got better when the weather cooled down too. I think it helps his breathing.”
Neither Battin nor McElroy will compete in the pacing colt Final, which features a pair of youngsters bred and owned by Robert Hamather. Both colts captured their Semifinals last week, Au Rumba hanging on to a neck victory in 1:57.2 and Tigerama hitting the wire four and a quarter lengths on top in 1:56.4.
“They’ve done quite well, I’d like to have a few more like them,” says the Exeter resident. “But there are six other ones in there Sunday that are good enough to win. Hopefully we’ll be competitive, but so will the others. It’s not a closed case.”
Bill Robinson trainee Au Rumba will start from Post 2 in the eighth race, while division leader Tigerama will be handicapped by Post 8 in the $100,000 Championship. Hamather predicts that Flamboro fans will see Pacific Rocket son Au Rumba firing off the gate again this week, while Tigerama looks for an opportunity a little later in the race.
“I personally think that Au Rumba is faster off the gate, but I’m not sure he can hold the mile as long,” says the long time owner. “And Tigerama has just been excellent for us this year.”
Richard Griffiths conditions Village Jiffy colt Tigerama, who has only been defeated once this season in Grassroots action. The colt that bested him, Twin B Mirage, will start from Post 5 on Sunday.
Flamboro Downs sends its first race onto the track at 6:20 pm Sunday and the outstanding three-year-olds step into the spotlight in Races 2, 4, 6, and 8.