CLINTON, ON — After battling around Clinton Raceway for the last month in the Central Huron Trotting Series, Brenda G’s Ballad is ready to take on the best in the province this Sunday in the fourth of eight Grassroots divisions.

“I had her paid up into that and it’s pretty close to home so I thought we’d give it a whirl,” says the three-year-old trotting filly’s owner and breeder Morley McLean. “There are four more left, so if things go right Sunday we’ll challenge them a little.”

Brenda G’s Ballad made her racing debut in an overnight event at Hanover Raceway on June 11 and has only missed a pay cheque once in five starts since. She finished third in her first two starts at Hanover and fourth in the elimination and final of the Central Huron Stake. Her only miss came in an overnight event at Clinton last Sunday where she made a couple of bobbles through the mile that left her well back of the leaders.

“Last week in the mud there she made a couple of mistakes,” says McLean. “The races were two hours late to start and they had to grade the track off, so we’ll put that down as an excuse.

“I hope things are a little bit better this week. It will be a little cooler too,” adds the Goderich resident.

Brenda G’s Ballad will make her Grassroots debut from Post 2 in the seventh race and McLean expects driver Michael Sumner will be using the same come from behind style that fans have come to expect over the past two months.

“We’ll put her in a hole and then come home with her. That is the way we’ve been racing her,” says McLean. “We’ll just float out, take a hole and charge out from the half home. She made her mistakes when they started to rush her.”

McLean will assist trainer James Riehl in the paddock on Sunday, and while the long time owner hopes Brenda G’s Ballad can make an impact on the provincial program in her first attempt, he is pragmatic enough to know that it is a significant task for the novice trotter.

“She’s come a long way,” he notes. “And I’ve always got my fingers crossed, but there are more downs than ups in this racing business.”

Goderich resident Riehl will send the Royal Ballad daughter out against a tough group of Ontario Sires Stakes veterans in Race 7 on Sunday, including former Gold Series competitor Lookit, who heads into the contest on a two race win streak. Win Some Way, who has finished second in both of her Grassroots appearances this season, will start from Post 3.

Clinton Raceway’s Sunday matinee begins at 1:30 pm, with the three-year-old trotting fillies showcased in Races 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12.

For a complete list of entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/eclntnsu.html