INNISFIL, ON — They have barely begun their racing careers, but the group of two-year-old trotting fillies heading to Georgian Downs for Tuesday’s Gold Series season opener already appear to have talent in spades.
Of the 34 fillies that will compete in four Gold Eliminations at the Innisfil oval on Tuesday, three have already recorded stakes wins, two were victorious in overnight action, one has broken the 2:00 barrier, 17 have won at least one qualifier and 15 have laid down sub-30 second last quarters.
Patrick Rouleau will start a filly with a qualifying win on her resume and, in spite of her talent, the Midhurst resident figures Lisa’s Encore has her work cut out for her.
“She drew in with some good ones,” says Rouleau, who conditions Lisa’s Encore for owner Lisa Heyden of Midhurst. “She’ll have her work cut out for her, being her first lifetime start.”
Among the field of seven Lisa’s Encore will face in Race 8 are 2:03.4 winner Windsun Magical from Post 5, and Flamboro Breeders Stake division winner Torch from Post 8. The daughter of Striking Sahbra and Way Shape Or Form will put her skills on display from Post 3, and Rouleau hopes that the filly can continue the steady path she has been treading since she arrived in his barn last October.
“She’s done everything right. Knock on wood, she hasn’t made a mistake yet, and hopefully she won’t Tuesday,” says the trainer. “She broke easy, trained down fabulously and did every thing I asked, just nonchalantly.”
A $28,000 yearling at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale, Lisa’s Encore learned her early lessons alongside two other freshman fillies and Rouleau says the young trotter quickly established herself as the queen bee in spite of her petite stature.
“She’s just a small little filly, she’s not very big,” he says. “But when I turned the two-year-olds out in the paddock no one else could keep up to her. She’s always been the leader, from Day 1.”
Rouleau and Heyden have set up an idyllic environment for Lisa’s Encore and her stablemates. The trio spends the afternoon and evening out in the paddock, comes in for breakfast and their morning work, enjoys a light lunch and then heads back outside.
“Being able to jog and do their work in the morning and then go out in the paddock and play keeps their attitude and their flesh up, and keeps them really happy,” he explains. “I figure they are better off outside in the sunshine than standing in a stall.”
Tuesday’s Gold Elimination will break up the filly’s daily routine, but Rouleau expects her to handle the hubbub of race night with the same easy-going attitude she has brought to every aspect of her early lessons.
“The first time she went to Georgian Downs she didn’t bother with the grandstand, she didn’t bother with the drag, she didn’t bother with the water truck. She was great that way,” he recalls. “Her first time behind the gate she went right up behind the gate, driving on two fingers.”
Lisa’s Encore will step up behind the starting gate in Race 8 on Tuesday, with the other Gold Eliminations slated as Races 1, 3, and 6. The top two finishers from each elimination, plus one third-place finisher selected by random draw, will return to Georgian Downs for the $130,000 Gold Final on July 24.
Post time for Georgian Downs’s Tuesday evening card is 7:35 pm.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egeodftu.html