ELORA, ON — Although Aileen’s Luck goes into Monday’s Trillium Series event at Grand River Raceway off a less than sparkling performance, the three-year-old pacing filly had a legitimate excuse for her failure to launch.

“In her last two starts she’s been sick,” says Fergus resident Mark Austin, “But we treated her and trained her up yesterday (Wednesday) and she seemed pretty good.

“I probably shouldn’t have raced her, but hind sight is 20-20.”

Prior to the disappointing sixth-place finish at Woodbine Racetrack on May 16, Aileen’s Luck had earned a cheque in every start since her March 28 sophomore debut. With one win, one second and one third in six starts, the Northern Luck filly had been progressing nicely through the overnight ranks, but the sickness caused her to miss a planned start in the May 22 Grassroots season opener so Monday’s test will give Austin an idea of where she fits in the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

The filly will start from Post 4 in the first of three $22,198 Trillium divisions, matching wits with three fillies who competed in the season opening Grassroots event, one American-bred and one other newcomer to provincial stakes action.

“That’s not a bad spot, and it’s a short field, there’s only six in it,” says Austin of the filly’s post position draw. “She has some early foot, but she won’t be too far off the pace even if she does have to come first up.”

Austin bred Aileen’s Luck and shares ownership on the half sister to Breeders Crown winner Molly Can Do It ($890,582) with Leo Thibodeau of Windsor.

If Austin could map out a perfect trip for the filly and driver Randy Fritz on Monday, he would like to see them make their bid for another top five finish with an off the pace effort over Grand River Raceway’s half-mile oval.

“She trained good here at the farm the other day,” says the trainer of the filly’s ability to handle the smaller oval. “I’d like to see her second over to the head of the lane and then see what she’s got.”

If Aileen’s Luck measures up on Monday, her next start would come on June 16 at Western Fair Raceway in the second Grassroots event of the season.

Open to any filly owned by an Ontario resident, Monday’s Trillium Series contest has attracted 14 Ontario-sired and five American-sired fillies. The talented youngsters will compete in the second, sixth and tenth races on Grand River Raceway’s 7:30 pm program.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egrvrmo.html