CLINTON, ON — Wayne and Trevor Henry capped off an extraordinary weekend of Ontario Sires Stakes success by winning five of six Grassroots divisions for the two-year-old trotting fillies at Clinton Raceway.
Since Thursday, Aug. 30, Wayne Henry has harnessed 18 horses in Ontario Sires Stakes action and delivered 11 winners and three third-place finishers for a training average of 61 per cent. The Arthur resident drove five Grassroots winners himself, while brother Trevor Henry piloted one Trillium Series winner and five Grassroots winners.
Heading into Sunday’s Grassroots battle Wayne Henry sat atop the Ontario Sires Stakes trainer’s standings with a total of 263 points, 71 points ahead of his nearest competitor, and Trevor Henry reigned over the driver standings with 317 points, a 37 point lead. The pair are pursued by father-son duo Carl Jamieson and Jody Jamieson.
At Clinton the pair allowed Dave Boughton and Zorgwijk Intimate to claim the first victory for trainer Shawn Arnott and his partner David Willitts of Simcoe. The Southwind Lustre filly stopped the teletimer at 2:05.1 to best favourite PC Monirail by one-quarter length and Taketwo N Callme by three-quarters of a length.
After the first division, the Henry fillies quite simply dominated their competition. In the second race Fiesty Fergie and Trevor Henry rocked along on the front end to a one length win in 2:04.2, besting division point leader Dr Sparky and Travelin Supergirl. The Henry Stable of Arthur and Daniel McCann of Parkhill share ownership on the Fiesty G G daughter, who was making her fourth start in the provincial program and bounced up to tenth spot in the division standings with the win.
The youngest Henry brother returned to the winner’s circle after Race 3 with Tameka Seelster, who started from the outside Post 7 and delivered an impressive come-from-behind effort to claim her first lifetime victory. The Berndt Hanover daughter was also making her fourth Grassroots start for the Henry Stable, Joseph Coffey of Orangeville and Terry O’Neill of Arthur.
Lady Keely and Dance Baby Dance were two and one-quarter lengths back in second and third when Tameka Seelster hit the wire in 2:05.1.
Trevor Henry handed the reins over to Wayne Henry in the fourth race and the trainer-driver engineered a four and one-half length victory for Taylorlane Evita in 2:06.1. Rockin Royal picked up the second-place finisher’s share of the $17,161 purse and Whatta Hotty rounded out the top three.
A Grassroots winner at Dresden Raceway on Aug. 6, Taylorlane Evita jumped up to second spot in the point race with Sunday’s victory. The Kadabra daughter also boasts one second and one fourth-place finish in her other two Grassroots starts. The Henry Stable, Maurice Carrey of Palmerston and Shawn Dixon of London share ownership on Taylorlane Evita, the first foal of former Grassroots winner Taffeta Seelster.
In the fifth Grassroots division Wayne Henry and Maker A Laker rocked around the Clinton oval to come closer than any other filly to CL Brightness’s track record. Leading the field from start to finish, Maker A Laker cruised under the wire a two and three-quarter length winner in 2:03.2. Putter Perfect and Incredible Suater finished second and third.
The Henry Stable, Daniel McCann and Jeffrey Thomson of Chesley purchased Maker A Laker for $39,000 at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale. The daughter of Striking Sahbra and Elegance Angus counts among her half-siblings five $100,000-plus winners, including $427,600 winner Nadine Angus. Through six starts, including three against the province’s Gold level fillies, Maker A Laker has produced one win, one second and one third for earnings of $22,236.
Trevor Henry returned to the race bike for the last Grassroots division and piloted Tires Missmalabar to a come from behind victory in 2:05. The Malabar Maple filly ran down pacesetter Misty Morgan around the final turn and pulled away to a one length victory. Misty Morgan stayed game for second, holding off a charging AKA Marla.
A homebred, Tires Missmalabar is owned by the Henry Stable and James Laverty of Sauble Beach. Through six starts the filly has recorded one win, one second and one third.
Fillies trained by Wayne Henry now sit second, third, tied for seventh, tenth and thirteenth in the race for one of 16 spots in the post season. The two-year-old trotting fillies make their second last regular season start on Sept. 20 at Hiawatha Horse Park.
Sunday’s event wrapped up the 2007 Ontario Sires Stakes schedule at Clinton Raceway. The provincial program will return to the popular half-mile oval next summer with a fresh crop of young trotters and pacers eager to prove their worth on the Grassroots circuit.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rclntnsu.html