DUNDAS, ON — Pretty Amigo blazed around the Flamboro Downs oval on Wednesday afternoon to an impressive 13 length victory in the third of six $24,000 Grassroots divisions.
The two-year-old trotting lass and driver Paul Mackenzie sprinted away from Post 5 to a :29.2 quarter, six lengths ahead of their peers. The Amigo Hall miss continued to open up on the field through the :59.3 half and 1:29.2 three-quarters, leading by as much as 20 lengths. Reaching the wire in 2:01.4, Pretty Amigo was 13 lengths ahead of Princess Nahanni and Photogenic Filly.
Blair Burgess of Campbellville trains Pretty Amigo for owner-breeders Robert Burgess of Campbellville and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton. Through nine starts the young trotter has tallied two wins and one third for earnings of $33,000. The filly started her Ontario Sires Stakes career at the Gold Series level, but after failing to qualify for three Gold Finals, the Burgess’s opted to move her down to the Grassroots program, where she recorded a third-place effort at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sept. 18.
Ipromisenottotell also logged a 2:01.4 triumph in the second Grassroots division, but the Angus Hall miss accomplished her victory in dramatically different fashion. Starting from Post 7 with trainer Joe Hudon in the race bike, Ipromisenottotell tucked in third on the rail behind Canada Cool and Northern Kitti.
Through the :30 quarter, 1:01.2 half and 1:32 three-quarters, Hudon and Ipromisenottotell sat contentedly on the rail, then stepped out in the stretch to eke out a three-quarter length victory over pacesetter Canada Cool. Northern Kitti finished two more lengths back in third.
Acton resident Hudon trains Ipromisenottotell for R A W Equine of Milton. A winner in the Aug. 13 Grassroots at Hiawatha Horse Park in her second lifetime start, Ipromisenottotell tried her hand against the province’s best through late August and early September, but after meeting with limited success and being laid up by a virus, Hudon opted for a return to the Grassroots program. The move proved a wise one as the filly now boasts a flawless Grassroots record of two wins in two starts, and boosted her point total to 100.
Charming Way matched her rivals’ 2:01.4 clocking in the ninth race, controlling the tempo from start to finish for trainer-driver Wayne Henry. The Angus Hall miss reached the wire one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Daria Hall and four lengths up on Working Girl.
Henry conditions Charming Way for his partners in the Henry Stable of Arthur and James Laverty of Sauble Beach. Since making her Grassroots debut at Hiawatha Horse Park on Aug. 13, Charming Way has treated her owners to a roller coaster ride of results. She made a break at Hiawatha, scored a victory at Hanover Raceway on Sept. 5, made a break at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sept. 18, and then captured Wednesday’s contest.
The other three Grassroots divisions were captured by Boots N Hearts in 2:04.3, Harlequin Seelster in 2:03.3, and Tymal Tiara in 2:03. The two-year-old trotting fillies make their final regular season Grassroots start at Kawartha Downs on Oct. 13.
Ontario Sires Stakes action swings back to Flamboro Downs on Thursday, Oct. 8 when the three-year-old trotting colts wrap up their Grassroots season.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0930flmdn.dat.