SARNIA, ON — Illusionist did not disappoint her fans at Hiawatha Horse Park on Thursday, capturing the fastest of seven Grassroots divisions by a six and three-quarter length margin.
The Camluck miss and driver Jody Jamieson powered to the front just past the quarter pole and simply ran off on the field of three-year-old pacing fillies, sailing under the wire in 1:53. Josee Rocket and Shes Camazing picked up the second and third-place finisher’s share of the $15,762 Ontario Sires Stakes purse.
Carl Jamieson trains the talented filly for owners Scott Enman of Pickering, Larry Cometto of Oshawa and John Dragojevic of Nobleton. Thursday’s victory was her third of the season in Grassroots action and her tenth overall and boosted her career earnings to $196,050.
The Jamieson’s also captured Race 8 with Apaches Fame daughter Lucys Fame who went wire-to-wire from Post 1 to secure her second Grassroots victory of the year. The filly hit the wire in a personal best 1:54, one and three-quarter lengths head of Operating Light and five and a half up on third-place finisher Little Respect.
Carl Jamieson of Princeton shares ownership on Lucys Fame with Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Karl Ungerman of Toronto.
Driver Randy Fritz also made two appearances in the Hiawatha winner’s circle on Thursday, piloting Early Dismissal to a 1:56 win in Race 3 and M T Freedom to a smart 1:53.1 win in Race 7.
Trainer Jeffrey Thomson and Lori Thomson of Chesley own Village Jiffy daughter Early Dismissal, who upset favourite B Passionate with her two length triumph. Bunny My Gal, trained and driven by Fritz’s father William “Bud” Fritz, rounded out the top three in the $15,562 contest.
M T Freedom dominated her division, sailing home five and three-quarter lengths ahead of Bastet Hanover and Shes A Blast. Fritz drove the Albert Albert daughter for trainer William Companion and owners Common Sense Stable of Rockwood and Melissa Robinson of Calgary, AB.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Nancys Lucky Lady in 1:55.1, Sentbytheangels in 1:54 and Leslies Star in 1:55.
The top 16 three-year-old pacing fillies now head to Georgian Downs on Oct. 23 for a pair of Grassroots Semifinals and the top four finishers from each Semifinal will then take their shot at $100,000 in the Grassroots Championship on Oct. 30 at the Innisfil oval. Hiawatha Horse Park is also hosting Grassroots Championship, welcoming the top two-year-old pacers and trotters on Thursday, Oct. 28 for elimination action and again on Saturday, Nov. 6 in four $100,000 Finals.