OTTAWA, ON — Three of four Grassroots favourites failed to deliver on Sunday night at Rideau Carleton Raceway, leaving the door wide open for a trio of sophomore pacing fillies who are now looking forward to competing in the lucrative post season.

In the second $24,000 Grassroots division, Holiday Shopper got a heads up steer from catch driver Mario Baillargeon to land a one and one-half length victory in 1:54.1. Starting from Post 7, Baillargeon settled the Camluck daughter in fourth spot as Modern Beauty reached the opening quarter in :27.2. Holiday Shopper then rolled up the outside behind C Lulujustlikethis heading for the :57 half and had taken command of the race by the 1:24.2 three-quarters.

Warrawee Lil, owned by Game Time Racing of Ottawa, ON, gave her local supporters a thrill by sprinting from sixth into second through the stretch, and Modern Beauty rounded out the top three. Fan favourite Highland Dancer was never a factor, finishing fifth.

The victory bumped Holiday Shopper from nineteenth to ninth in the Grassroots standings, assuring her a berth in the Oct. 16 Semifinals at Western Fair Raceway. Warrawee Lil also leapt up the standings, her 93 points moving her into fourteenth spot and extending her season through the Semifinal round.

John Duke Sugg conditions Holiday Shopper for Robert Hutchison of North Ridgeville, OH and Randall Hutchison of Avon, OH. After starting her Ontario Sires Stakes season with a fifth-place result in the May 21 Gold Elimination, Sugg dropped her into the Grassroots program where she scored two wins, two thirds and one sixth. In total Holiday Shopper has netted her owners three wins, two seconds and three thirds in 18 starts for earnings of $60,572.

The final Grassroots division saw Give The Gift deliver a come from behind effort that earned her a 1:56.1 victory, her first of the season, and a spot in the Semifinals. The Camluck filly and driver Sylvain Filion hit the wire three and one-half lengths ahead of Exotic Pleasure and Intrewishon. Fan favourite Scottish Queen finished well back in seventh.

Heading into Sunday’s battle Give The Gift was sitting forty-ninth in the standings with 42 points accumulated through one second, one third and one fifth-place result in three Grassroots outings. Through 12 sophomore starts the Bob McIntosh trainee now has one win, one second and three thirds to her credit for earnings of $27,520. Windsor, ON resident McIntosh shares ownership of Give The Gift with C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH.

Phenomenal Grace also scored a mild upset in the first Grassroots skirmish, but rather than propelling her up the standings, her 1:54.3 score merely cemented her status in the top 16. Only missing the top five once in six Grassroots outings, the Mach Three daughter wrapped up her season with 145 points earned through two wins, one second, one third and one fourth.

Judith Shelton and Charles Knox of Goderich, ON own Phenomenal Grace, and Guelph, ON resident Gregg McNair handles her day-to-day care. McNair’s son Doug, who currently leads all drivers in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, engineered the filly’s fifth sophomore victory.

All Chocolate finished one and three-quarter lengths back of Phenomenal Grace, while favourite Wind Warning settled for third.

Miss Maverick was the only favourite to earn a Grassroots trophy on Sunday, doing so with a commanding gate to wire performance that saw her pace under the wire two lengths ahead of Lucky Jeans and Mach Dismissal in a 1:54.4 clocking.

John MacDonald guided Miss Maverick to the win, her second in Grassroots action and sixth of the season, for trainer Marie St. Charles and owners E C S Racing LLC of Rockford, MI. The Western Maverick daughter wrapped up the regular season with 136 points, good enough for seventh spot in the three-year-old pacing filly standings.

The top 16 point earners will now begin preparations for the Oct. 16 Semifinals at Western Fair Raceway in London, ON. The top four finishers from each $30,000 Semifinal will return to London on Oct. 23 for their shot at the $100,000 Grassroots Championship.

Next Friday, Oct. 8 Rideau Carleton Raceway fans will also see the two-year-old pacing fillies take their final shot at a post season berth. Post time for Friday’s program is 6:30 pm.

For complete results click: Rideau Carleton Raceway Results — Oct. 3, 2010