CLINTON, ON — Clinton Raceway kicks off its Ontario Sires Stakes season this Sunday with five divisions of Grassroots wild card action for the two-year-old trotting fillies. The fillies will highlight the track’s popular Labour Day festivities, which also include the 21st annual Driver’s Challenge, prize draws and a children’s carnival.
A handful of Gold fillies have taken advantage of the event’s wild card status and will challenge the Grassroots regulars for a share of the $89,525 total purse. Among the Gold regulars heading for Clinton’s half-mile oval is Vics Flag, who boasts a runner-up finish in her July 29 Gold Elimination at Woodbine Racetrack and a seventh in the Aug. 5 Final. The Balanced Image daughter, trained by John Bax for Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband of Toronto and Al Libfeld of Pickering, will start from Post 3 in the first Grassroots division on Sunday’s matinee program.
Vics Flag will face off against a group of seven young trotters including Norwell Dot Com, owned by Clinton resident Jack Holmes in partnership with trainer George Zirnis of Elmira, Dennis Fairall of Windsor and Robert Fairall of New York, NY. Royal Ballad daughter Norwell Dot Com will make her second lifetime start and her Grassroots debut from Post 7.
Having tried her luck at both the Gold and Grassroots levels, X T C will make her fourth Ontario Sires Stakes start in the second race at Clinton on Sunday. The Super Pleasure daughter is trained by Gregg McNair and the Guelph resident admits sending the filly into the Gold fray in her first start may have been a mistake.
“We started her off in the wrong place. It probably hurt her a little bit going to Woodbine. She didn’t have much trot yet,” says McNair. “But she kept up pretty good in Hanover (Aug. 21) so hopefully she’ll be okay.”
McNair shares ownership on X T C with Mac Galbraith of Durham and Samuel Bova of Irving, NY and the trio have recouped $5,719 of the filly’s $27,000 purchase price after three starts. The filly will start from Post 3 in the second race on Sunday and McNair is hoping she can deliver another solid effort and add to the 12 points she earned with her third-place finish at Hanover Raceway. “”We wear trotting hopples on her, just to steady her,” says the Walkerton native. “But once you get her away from the gate she’s all right.”
Among the fillies X T C will face in the second race is division co-leader Zorgwijk Dutchess, who has been flawless in two Grassroots starts. Owned by the Henry Stable of Arthur and James Laverty of Sauble Beach, the Valleymeister daughter will attempt to maintain her perfect record from Post 7 in Race 2.
In addition to the first and second races, the two-year-old trotting fillies will be featured in Races 3, 12 and 13. All of the Labour Day festivities get under way just before the first division of Ontario Sires Stakes stars parade onto the racetrack at 1:30 pm.