DRESDEN, ON — Zorgwijk Fallon delivered the most impressive mile in six Grassroots divisions at Dresden Raceway on Monday afternoon, circling the sloppy half-mile oval in 2:03.2.
In spite of the rain soaked racetrack, rated three seconds slower than normal, the three-year-old trotting filly and trainer-driver Richard McNeill fired to the front from Post 3 and never looked back. The pair posted fractions of :31, 1:01.3 and 1:32.2 and gapped the Race 13 field by as much as ten lengths during most of the race. Favourite Bernies D Nile and Paco Dream closed the gap through the stretch to earn second and third-place shares of the $16,378 purse.
James McNeill of Brantford owns Zorgwijk Fallon, who had just two lifetime starts under her belt before Monday’s victory. The Wesgate Crown daughter made one start in the Grassroots program at two and squeezed in a start at Flamboro Downs on May 18 in preparation for her 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes debut.
All but two of the Grassroots divisions were captured in convincing style, with Merry Rules, Franysballad and Whatthehecklavec also making short work of their rivals.
Merry Rules and veteran reinsman Kevin Wallis stopped the clock at 2:04.4 in the first division to best Emme Emme and Draven by two and a half lengths. The Mr Lavec daughter is trained by Susanne Kerwood for C. And I. Racing Stable of Staten Island, NY.
Two races later Franysballad scored a convincing front end victory, reaching the wire five lengths up on Spring Emmy and Players Champion in 2:07.4. It was the first lifetime win for the Royal Ballad miss, trained by Steve Coulter of Brantford for his partner, and the filly’s breeder, Daniel Lengacher of Grabill, IN.
Whatthehecklavec extended the trend, capturing the seventh race by five and one-quarter lengths. The Mr Lavec miss reeled in pacesetter CS I Ama Star in the final quarter and powered off to the 2:06.2 victory over Win Some Way and Slabtown Victoria. Carlisle resident Randy Fritz trains and drives the filly, who is now undefeated through three starts, for his partners Jennifer Unger and Gwendowyn Unger of Caledon East.
The margin of victory was a bit tighter for Dream On Bernie, who held off favourite K T Cha Cha and Armbro Ceylon through the stretch to record a 2:07 victory in Race 9. A player in the Gold Series division as a two-year-old, Berndt Hanover daughter Dream On Bernie is owned by trainer-driver George Zirnis of Elmira, Janet Fairall of Windsor, Tanya Martin of Elmira and Nancy Holmes of Clinton.
In Race 11 Ping Putter delivered a steady effort that saw her cross the line one length up on Kind Gesture and favourite Odee Tessa, both trained by Ross Henry. Making just her second lifetime start on Monday, the Yankee Paco miss is owned by the In It For The Ladies stable of Port Hope and trained and driven by Per Henriksen.
The winners will have an opportunity to earn more points toward the year end Championship on July 1 at Grand River Raceway where they will compete in the second of six Grassroots events on their 2005 schedule. Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Dresden Raceway on Monday, Aug. 1 with Grassroots action for the two-year-old trotting colts.