HANOVER, ON — Ross Henry picked up a pair of wins in Grassroots action at Hanover Raceway on Saturday evening, sending three-year-old trotting fillies Lookit and Praha to victory.
Lookit and Wayne Henry were the first to appear in the winner’s circle, going gate to wire in the fourth race to score a three-quarter length victory over Paco Dream and Kilmartin Orphan in 2:02.3.
The Henry Stable of Arthur and Wally Yantz share ownership on the Royal Strength daughter, who vaulted into the division’s top 16 point earners with the win. Through four Grassroots starts Lookit has two wins and one fifth-place for a total of 105 points, with just one regular season event remaining on the schedule.
Five races later Trevor Henry teamed up with Praha to engineer a second victory for his father, the reigning Johnston Cup champion as the top trainer in the Ontario Sires Stakes program. Like her stablemate, Praha led through all stations, powering across the finish line three lengths ahead of Filicia Seelster and nine up on Queen Of Scot in a personal best 2:01.4.
NGA Powerline of Brantford bred and own San Pellegrino daughter Praha, who also sits in the current top 16 with a total of 91 points earned through Saturday’s win, one second and two fourth-place finishes in Grassroots competition.
Aerial Victory scored the fastest win of the seven Grassroots divisions, delivering an impressive come from behind effort to claim the 2:00.4 victory. The New Victory daughter and trainer-driver Allen Dell eased off the starting gate from Post 6 and were 10 lengths behind the leader at the :28.2 opening quarter. Fourth by five lengths at the :58.4 half, Dell sent Aerial Victory after the leaders with a bold three-wide move heading by the 1:29.4 three-quarters. By the top of the stretch Aerial Victory was just two and a half lengths behind pacesetter Gaelic and a smart finishing kick propelled the filly to a one and a quarter length triumph in 2:00.4.
Gaelic held on for second after doing all the work on the front end and Keystone Leah claimed the third-place finisher’s share of the $15,000 purse. Bothwell resident Dell bred and owns Aerial Victory, who has just six starts under her belt — two wins and one second. The filly sits on the edge of the current cut off for a berth in the Grassroots Semifinal and will be looking to pad her 75 point total in the last regular season event, Sept. 27 at Kawartha Downs.
K T Cha Cha moved into top spot in the division standings with a 2:02.1 victory in the seventh race that saw her fight off a challenge by fan favourite Tyrone Megabucks to claim the two length win. Spring Emmy finished another length back in third.
Arthur resident Bruce Richardson piloted K T Cha Cha to her third win of the season for trainer Bud Sinclair of Stratford, Bill Elliott of Thorndale, Murray Neilson of London and Dr. Norman Amos of St. Marys.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Hologram Hanover in 2:01.2, Jayport Sweetheart in 2:03 and Chelemark Twiggy in 2:01.2.
Saturday’s excitement brought the curtain down on Hanover Raceway’s 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw a track record set by two-year-old pacing fillies Teacher Supreme and Alias Seelster. Ontario’s finest two and three-year-olds will return to Hanover in 2006 for another outstanding season of provincial competition.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rhnvrsa.html