CLINTON, ON — Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing fillies impressed fans at Clinton Raceway’s Legends Day program on Sunday afternoon, with Epoxy Queen delivering her third straight Grassroots victory in the fastest of six $24,000 divisions.
Starting from Post 3 with reinsman Steve Byron in the race bike, the Camluck miss went straight to the front and controlled the tempo through fractions of :29.2, :58.2 and 1:27.3, cruising home a two and one-half length winner in 1:56.2. Montenegro dropped onto the rail behind Epoxy Queen at the start and tailed the fan favourite all the way around the half-mile oval to earn second-place honours. Lyons Puddin Pie was seven and one-quarter lengths behind the leader in third.
Eric Adams trains Epoxy Queen for owner-breeders Millar Farms of Newmarket, ON. Through seven starts this season the sophomore pacer has tallied three wins and banked $40,045. Her flawless record of three win in three Grassroots starts has her atop the division standings with one event remaining on the regular season calendar.
Visiting legend John Campbell picked up a catch drive aboard Smartygirl in the fourth Grassroots division and sent the filly directly from Post 1 to the winner’s circle. The Ailsa Craig native engineered the triumph — the Camluck daughter’s fifth of the season — for trainer Bill Keeping and owner Dr. David Fisher of Windsor.
Co-favourite Synergy Seelster was two and three-quarter lengths behind the winner when she clicked off the teletimer at 1:57, and Stonebridge Damsel was five more lengths back in third.
The Grassroots victory was not the only time Campbell appeared in the winner’s circle on Sunday; the New Jersey resident also bested his fellow driving legends in the Legends Trot with former Ontario Sires Stakes regular Lexis D J, hitting the wire six and one-quarter lengths on top in 1:59.4.
Modern Cinderella also used a front end strategy to score her first Grassroots victory in Race 6. The Modern Art daughter and driver Trevor Henry sprinted to the front from Post 2 and hit the wire five and three-quarter lengths ahead of Angel On The Wing and Musical Maven in a 1:57.3 clocking.
Ervin Abdulov of London bred, owns and trains Modern Cinderella, who has amassed a record of two wins and two seconds in 11 starts this season for earnings of $38,720. The win boosted the filly’s chances at advancing to the Sept. 24 Grassroots Semifinal at Mohawk Racetrack, giving her 93 points heading into the regular season finale.
The other three Grassroots victors employed come-from-behind strategies to earn their place in the winner’s enclosure. In the first $24,000 division Cameron Lucky and driver Bruce Richardson got away last from Post 6, started advancing up the outside just after the half and were forced out three-wide by the three-quarters, then rocketed down the stretch to grab a one-quarter length victory over Bunkhouse Babe and Cheryls Surprise.
The 1:58.1 victory vaulted Camluck daughter Cameron Lucky into second spot in the division standings with 137 points, securing trainer Marie St. Charles and owner Michael Hale of Livonia, MI a trip to Mohawk for the Semifinal round.
In the second split Rocket Art dropped into the pocket behind pacesetter Dapple Apple and then out-hustled that filly and challenger Brush With Royalty to the wire for a half length victory in 1:58. Fan favourite Brush With Royalty’s trip up the outside paid off with a runner-up showing, while Dapple Apple settled for third.
Billy Davis Jr. piloted Rocket Art to the win for trainer Don Meekison of Shakespeare and his partner John Sinclair of Palmerston. The Modern Art miss will need another strong finish at Hiawatha Horse Park on Sept. 15 to extend her Grassroots season.
The final division saw Pearl Handlepistol draft along on the outside behind favourite Chappies Girl and sprint down the stretch to an impressive two length triumph in 1:58.1. Chappies Girl had to settle for second, while Kennairn Crystal, owned by trainer Bryan, Kenneth and Shirley Ramsey of Goderich, got up for third.
Sylvain Filion piloted Pearl Handlepistol to her third lifetime victory for trainer Chad Milner and owner James Carr of Hamilton. The Mach Three daughter has two Grassroots wins and 100 points to her credit heading to the Hiawatha event.
The three-year-old pacing fillies wrapped up Clinton Raceway’s 2011 Ontario Sires Stakes program, and were part of an outstanding Legends Day event that, since its inception, has raised over $120,000 for the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation. In addition the Grassroots and Legends Trot stake races, fans also enjoyed the dulcet tones of guest announcers Greg Blanchard, Roger Huston, Ken Middleton, Tim O’Connor and Ken Warkentin, and had an opportunity to meet former NHL great Theo Fleury.
For complete results please go to: Clinton Raceway Results — Sept. 4, 2011