CLINTON, ON — Clinton Raceway fans did not have to wait long to see the track record for two-year-old pacing fillies broken in Grassroots action on Sunday afternoon.
In the first race Helena Handbag and Kelvin Rose fired to the front from Post 2 and flew around the half-mile oval to an 11 length victory in 1:59.1. The mile peeled more than a second off the former 2:00.3 record for freshman pacing fillies co-owned by Maddy Girl and Warrawee Bonnie.
Missys Q T and Megan L Down delivered steady efforts to earn second and third in the record setting mile.
The win was the first of the season for Helena Handbag, who tried her hand in the Gold Series before dropping down to the Grassroots for the Aug. 2 event at Dresden Raceway. The Northern Luck daughter is trained by Rocco Auciello for Jeffrey Goldenthal of Whitevale.
Helena Handbag’s name came close to being erased from the Clinton Raceway record books when Terra Cotta Rascal stormed to a matching 1:59.1 victory in the tenth race. In rein to Ray McLean, Jr., Terra Cotta Rascal fought off challengers at the three-quarter pole and through the stretch to score her third straight Grassroots victory and earn a spot in the history books.
The Pacific Rocket daughter is trained by Todd Kennedy and owned by John Fraleigh of Glencoe and has earned $25,893 in her four starts.
Angelina Seelster finished three-quarters of a length back in second and St Lads Pathfinder was five and three-quarter lengths behind the leaders in third. Jody Jamieson scored the driving hat trick during the Sunday matinee, piloting Northern Jade, Three Kilo and Armbro Cider to front end victories.
The young reinsman’s winning afternoon got under way in the fourth race when Northern Jade stepped off a 2:00.1 mile to reach the wire four lengths ahead of Youronechancefancy and favourite Ashley And Gloria. Jack Darling of Windsor trains the talented Northern Luck daughter, who is two for two in her freshman career, for his partner Daniel Smith of London.
One race later Jamieson and his father Carl were posing in the winner’s circle with former Gold Series competitor Three Kilo, who delivered a hard fought half length victory over Devils Delight, stopping the clock at 2:02.1. Fannies Fortune edged out favourite Fabulous Flori for the third-place finishers’s share of the $15,000 Ontario Sires Stakes purse.
Carl Jamieson of Princeton, Dr. Robert Boyce of London, Edward Smith of Milton and Karl Ungerman of Toronto share ownership on Three Kilo, who boosted her record to two wins, two seconds and two thirds in seven starts.
Jody Jamieson wrapped up his triple aboard Brett Pelling trainee Armbro Cider in the eleventh race. Once again opting for front-end tactics, Jamieson had the Island Fantasy daughter in high gear early, slowed the pace through the middle of the mile, and then sprinted home to the 2:02.2 victory over Rustle N Sizzle and Star Factor.
James and Barbara Millier of Dorchester and Enzed Racing Stable of Allentown, NJ own Armbro Cider, who now has one win and one third to her credit through two Grassroots starts.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Our Shady Lady in 2:02.1, Artscase in 2:01.3 and Borderlinegorgious in 2:00.2. The record setting fillies return to Grassroots action on Sept. 25 at Sudbury Downs.
Sunday’s event wrapped up Clinton Raceway’s 2004 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw two track records fall as the half-mile oval and its fans welcomed the three-year-old trotting colts, three-year-old trotting fillies, two-year-old pacing colts and two-year-old pacing fillies. The program looks forward to another successful season at Clinton Raceway in 2005 when a fresh set of two and three-year-olds will be eager to make their mark on the provincial stage.