DUNDAS, ON — Ontario’s top three-year-old pacing fillies wrapped up their Trillium Series season at Flamboro Downs on Sunday evening, with Grassroots Champion Illusionist recording a victory in the first of two divisions.
Firing out of Post 5, fan favourites Illusionist and driver Jody Jamieson tucked in behind Cohenikova through opening fractions of :26.3 and :56.2, swept to the front heading past the 1:24.4 three-quarters and then powered away from the field to a 1:54.4 victory.
Cohenikova crossed under the wire four and three-quarter lengths back in second and Simply Lucky was three more lengths back in third.
Carl Jamieson trains Illusionist for John Dragojevic of Nobleton and David Lumsden of Thornhill. The Camluck daughter captured the Grassroots crown on Oct. 30 at Georgian Downs and Sunday’s Trillium win extended the her win streak to five.
Through 28 starts this season Illusionist boasts a record of 14 wins, four seconds and five thirds for earnings of $264,078.
The second Trillium division went to Gold Series regular Serious Comfort, who opted for a come from behind strategy to achieve her 1:56.4 victory over Leslies Star and Czech With Eva.
From Post 7 driver Roger Mayotte eased Serious Comfort off the starting gate and into fourth place as favourite Lucys Fame rolled to a :27.4 opening quarter. With Lucys Fame continuing to set the pace, Mayotte sat patiently past the :57.4 half and then sent Serious Comfort up the outside heading for the 1:27.2 three-quarters.
Just a nose behind Lucys Fame coming off the final turn, Serious Comfort accelerated down the stretch to hit the wire two and three-quarter lengths on top, while Lucys Fame faded to fourth.
After capturing the Ontario Sires Stakes division title at two, Serious Comfort was making just her second visit to the winner’s circle this season. Through 15 starts the Precious Bunny daughter has a record of two wins, two seconds and three thirds for earnings of $130,048. Millar Farms of Newmarket bred and own the sophomore pacer and Robert Atkin handles her day-to-day training.
Sunday’s event also wrapped up Flamboro Downs’ 2004 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw the Dundas half-mile host six Gold Series events, one Grassroots contest and two Trilliums.
The provincial program will return to Flamboro Downs next year with fresh crop of colts and fillies ready to star on the Ontario Sires Stakes stage.