SARNIA, ON — Hiawatha Horse Park hosts the talented three-year-old trotting fillies in Trillium Series action on Thursday evening with 21 fillies vying for a total of $69,624.
Both Ontario-sired and Ontario-owned fillies are eligible for the Trillium Series and one of the leading contenders for a share of the provincial purse is Mark Etsell trainee Blossom Seelster, who has spent most of her summer racing south of the border.
“She makes herself at home when she ships away. She doesn’t miss any meals, and that’s a big asset,” says Etsell. “She actually had a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes the very same night, but she’s got two wins down there and that should be good enough to get into the Final so we’ll save a road trip.”
The Tagliabue daughter tried her hand against North America’s top sophomore trotting lasses in the July 31 Hambletonian Oaks Eliminations at The Meadowlands, but came up with a lacklustre effort in New Jersey’s hot and humid weather.
“I don’t like making excuses for them, but she had kind of tough luck. The weather was hot and sticky and she tied up and had some allergies, the air is pretty thick,” notes the Hanover resident. “We were just glad to have her a little better for the consolation (Duenna).”
Blossom Seelster heads into Thursday’s start off a second-place finish in the Duenna and will be looking for her second Trillium Series win of the season from Post 1 in Hiawatha’s third race. While her preferred style as a two-year-old would have seen the filly on the front end, Etsell says the winner of $157,825 has matured this season.
“She’s a little easier to manage, she was a little one dimensional last year,” says the veteran trainer-driver. “Now if she’s aggressive off the gate I’ll let her trot out of there, if not I’ll wait for things to cool down and then go.”
Etsell shares ownership on Blossom Seelster with Robert Newton of Walkerton, Larry Clements of Listowel and Chuan Tan of Cambridge. The partners acquired the filly as a yearling in 2002 after Etsell went to see her at Seelster Farms in Lucan.
“I got the video on her and really liked her and I really liked the mare’s side,” recalls Etsell. “And when I went to see her she showed a lot of athletic ability in the paddock.”
The daughter of 100 per cent producer Bambino Rose posted a record of three wins in seven starts as a freshman and has four wins, one second and two thirds through nine starts this season. In her first Trillium Series win this season she lowered the track record at Flamboro Downs to 1:57.3, shaving three-fifths of a second off the mark held by former OSS star Earl Of My Dreams.
Among the OSS regulars Blossom Seelster will face at Hiawatha on Thursday are Trillium Series winner and Grassroots regular Indys Kylee from Post 3 and steady Grassroots performers Chloe K and Carla from Posts 4 and 5.
Hiawatha Horse Park raises the curtain on its Thursday evening program at 7:30 pm, with the three-year-old trotting fillies featured in Trillium Series action in Races 1, 3 and 7.