SUDBURY, ON — Sudbury Downs fans had an opportunity to watch a master horseman in action on Saturday night as soon to be hall-of-famer William “Bud” Fritz captured two of four Grassroots divisions for the freshman pacing fillies.
The Walkerton resident kicked off the evening in impressive fashion, shattering the two-year-old pacing filly track record with Brokenstar in the first Grassroots division. Fritz sent the Camluck filly straight to the front from Post 4 and led the field through fractions of :29.1, 1:00.1 and 1:30 before powering home to the 1:59.4 victory, three-fifths of a second faster than the record set by OSS competitor Babe Hall in 2000.
Saturday night was the second straight week Brokenstar has delivered a track record performance. In a non-winners of $8,000 event on July 27 she lowered the Hanover Raceway track record by two-fifths of a second, stopping the clock in 1:58.2. Her resume now includes two track records and three straight victories in just four career starts.
Fritz, who will be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Aug. 29, shares ownership on Brokenstar with breeder Clarence Bast of Millbank. The veteran horseman’s son Randy Fritz attempted to catch Brokenstar through the second half of the race, but had to settle for the runner-up spot with Operetta Sunrise, and Armbro Arrow finished third.
Three races later Fritz was back in the winner’s circle with Wendys Rocket and track officials were scrambling to find an eraser to enter a new track record. This time around Fritz let his son Randy and Feathery Fame lead the field through fractions of :28.3, :59 and 1:29.1 before reeling them in at the top of the stretch and pulling off to a three-quarter length victory in 1:59.3.
It was the first win for Wendy’s Rocket, who sported a pair of second-place finishes in her three starts before Saturday. Bloomingwood Farms of Harriston bred and own the Pacific Rocket daughter, who more than tripled her earnings to $17,982 with the victory.
Once again Randy Fritz was forced into second spot with Feathery Fame while Magic Jasmine delivered a steady performance to finish third.
Lucky Irma and Dave Boughton captured the second division with a come-from-behind effort. The Camluck daughter stopped the clock in 2:00.3 to score her first win for owner-breeder John Christensen of Scarborough. Pacesetter Marlow United and favourite Burning Point settled for second and third.
The final division went to Murray Brethour and Run In The Sun off a wire-to-wire 2:02.3 effort. Gerald Bloch of Cote-St.-Luc, QC and Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, QC share ownership on the Run The Table daughter, who was making her first appearance in the winner’s circle. Individual Gal and Party N Canada picked up the final two spots on the board.
The two-year-old pacing fillies make their fourth Grassroots start on Sept. 7 at Woodstock Raceway. Ontario Sires Stakes action also returns to Sudbury Downs on Sept. 7 with the Grassroots wild card for the three-year-old trotting colts.