SARNIA, ON — Canada’s 2001 Trainer of the Year will start four two-year-old trotting fillies at Hiawatha Horse Park on Thursday night in their first ever Grassroots event.
John Bax will harness the first of his freshman hopefuls in the third race of the 7:10 pm program, sending Armbro Aquarius after Ontario Sires Stakes fame from Post 2. The daughter of Super Pleasure and Ginger Lobell heads into the race off a 2:08.3 qualifying effort at Mohawk Racetrack on June 29. Steve Byron piloted the filly in her qualifier and will be back in the bike for her provincial debut on Thursday.
Bob Anderson of St. Thomas owns Armbro Aquarius, selecting her out of the Forest City Yearling Sale last fall for $32,000 on the recommendation of half siblings Jefs Spice ($951,469), Cumin ($150,527) and Armbro Proud ($104,383).
In Race 5 Byron and Cinnabar Hanover will carry the Bax stable flag from Post 8. A sister to former OSS competitor Ina Hurry Murray, Cinnabar Hanover delivered a solid qualifying effort at Mohawk on June 29. The Balanced Image lass hit the wire third in 2:05.2.
Al Libfeld of Pickering, Sam Goldband of Toronto and Marvin Katz of Toronto share ownership on Cinnabar Hanover. The long time partners acquired the well-bred filly from last fall’s Harisburg Yearling Sale in Pennsylvania for $62,000.
The Peterborough-based trainer will start a pair of Balanced Image daughters in the final division of the evening — Guardian Image from Post 4 and Aimees Image from Post 6.
Like her stablemates, Guardian Image qualified at Mohawk on the 29th and recorded a 2:06.1 clocking in a fifth-placed effort. The daughter of former OSS competitor Guard The Dream is owned by Bax’s Parkhill Stud Farm, Harry Locke of Oshawa, Aline James of Lindsay and Karen Debnam of Little Britain, who anted up $27,000 for her at the Canadian Classic Yearling Sale.
Another impeccably bred filly, Aimees Image finished behind Cinnabar Hanover in her qualifier, stopping the clock in 2:06.3. Breeders Glengate Farms of Campbellville partnered with Kesons Stable of Cambridge to purchase the sister to $475,223 winner Village Advocate and $234,852 winner Lovers Image out of their Forest City Sale consignment last fall.
Bax’s foursome will face off against 18 other freshman trotters eager to make their mark on the provincial scene. A total of $89,686 is up for grabs in Races 3, 5, and 7 at Hiawatha Horse Park on Thursday, with the first race heading in behind the starting gate at 7:10 pm.