LONDON, ON — A trio of three-year-old trotting fillies who started their Ontario Sires Stakes season in the Gold Series slipped down to the Grassroots on Wednesday evening and scored impressive victories over the Western Fair Raceway oval.

Lisa’s Mission, a Gold Final winner as a two-year-old, set the tone for the evening when she trotted to a four and a half length win in the first of eight $15,000 divisions. The Mr Lavec daughter and driver Dan Clements never saw a challenger as they rang up fractions of :30, 1:00.3 and 1:30.1 on their way to the 2:00.1 win over Blueridge Yankee and Yankee Frilly.

Adrien Hickey trains Lisa’s Mission for Lisa Heyden of Midhurst and opted to give the winner of $166,512 a gentle reintroduction to stakes action after she missed the May 25 Gold Final due to sickness.

In the second Grassroots division Womanly Image demoralised the competition with a 15 length victory in 2:00.1. In rein to Jim McClure, Womanly Image sat second behind pacesetter Kings Keepsake through fractions of :28.3 and :59, then powered to the front on the way to the 1:30.1 three-quarters. Once she reached the front the Balanced Image miss simply trotted away from the field, leaving Kings Keepsake 15 lengths to the rear and Sassy La Flirt 21 lengths behind in third.

Trained by John Kopas for George Hempt of Camp Hill, PA, Womanly Image has not finished better than fourth against the province’s top fillies this season. As a two-year-old she was a two-time winner, but she is still $5,000 away from repaying the $52,000 Hempt invested to acquire her in 2004.

Oaklea Oaks wrapped up the Grassroots portion of Western Fair’s Wednesday evening program with a 2:03.3 win in Race 10. The Angus Hall daughter and driver David Boughton led the field through fractions of :30.3, 1:02.3 and 1:33.1 and then hung on down the stretch to record the half length win over Highnmighty and Warzone.

Oaklea Oaks has struggled in the upper echelons of the Ontario Sires Stakes program this season, making a break in the season opening Gold Elimination and finishing seventh in a division of the Casual Breeze Stake at Woodbine Racetrack on June 2. Trainer David Tingley of Guelph shares ownership of the filly with Hans Mueller of Barrie, Jesse Dragojevic of Nobleton and Lou Joseph Tingley of Moncton, NB.

Grassroots regular Gramola Grande scored her second victory in three starts to take sole ownership of top spot in the division point standings. The Mr Lavec daughter and driver Stephen Byron allowed First To The Front to live up to her name, rolling through fractions of :30, 1:01.2 and 1:31.4. Then, as the fillies straightened out in the stretch, Byron asked Gramola Grande for another gear and she responded with a burst of speed that carried her to a quarter length victory in 2:02.4.

Stonebridge Volare survived a tough trip around the outside to finish second and First To The Front, owned by trainer William Borth of Ingersoll, James Baillie of London and Frank Baker, Jr. of Thamesford, finished just a half length back in third.

Peterborough resident John Bax trains Gramola Grande for his partners Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Ariel Stables of North York. The win was the filly’s third in 10 starts this season.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Snapism in 2:03.2, St Lads Calcium in 2:04.1, C H Meadow Miss in 2:00.3 and Self Starter in 2:01.3.

The sophomore trotting fillies make their fourth Grassroots start on August 15 at Georgian Downs, while Western Fair Raceway wraps up its 2006 Ontario Sires Stakes season with the spectacular Gold Series trotting fillies in their $130,000 Final on Friday, June 30.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rlonwe.html