BELLEVILLE, ON — In spite of the soggy weather, Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing fillies delivered an exciting show at Quinte Exhibition Raceway on Monday afternoon, with Sentbytheangels clocking the fastest time of nine Grassroots divisions.
Sent off as the heavy favourite by savvy Quinte fans, Sentbytheangels and driver Dan Clements took control heading to the three-quarter pole and simply ran off from the field, hitting the wire 11 lengths ahead of Armbro Bell and Temptation Island. Over a rain-soaked track rated four seconds slower than normal, the Run The Table daughter stopped the teletimer in 2:01.
Brett Robinson trains Sentbytheangels for Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, QC and the win bumped the filly’s record to three wins and two thirds in nine starts for earnings of $33,570.
Driver Reg Gassien had an outstanding afternoon over the Belleville course, capturing three wins and a second in the first four divisions. The Lindsay resident made his first trip to the winner’s circle with Leslies Star in Race 2, piloting the Northern Luck daughter to a 2:03.3 victory for trainer William Horner and owner Peter Reich of London. A pair of Apaches Fame daughters, Tricky Fame and Certain Fame, rounded out the top three.
Gassien then teamed up with trainer Jim Ainsworth to score a 2:02.1 win aboard Lucky Jenny. Sarnia resident Ainsworth, Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga and Claude Pearson of Tilbury share ownership on the Camluck filly, who hit the wire five and one quarter lengths ahead of Patty Ben Beau and Pocketfulastarlite.
Paradise Of Grins completed Gassien’s driving hat trick with a 2:02.1 victory over Tosexyforthedriver and Cammissy in Race 4. The Grinfromeartoear daughter overcame Post 6 to score the win, her first of the season, for trainer Bill Budd and owner Candi Siegel Racing Stable Ltd., of Brooklyn, NY.
The veteran reinsman added a runner-up finish to his stellar performance when Sunday Supreme finished just three-quarters of a length behind longshot Shes A Blast in Race 5. Stuart Sowerby engineered the 2:04.1 win for Shes A Blast, sprinting from seventh to first down the stretch to reel in Sunday Supreme and R Bs Rocket.
Garth Gordon trains Pacific Rocket daughter Shes A Blast for Gregory Gehman of Manheim, PA. The win was the filly’s second straight.
Sowerby made a repeat appearance in front of the Quinte photographer two races later, steering Ms BBD to a gate-to-wire triumph over Dazzle Me and Stonebridge Ariel. Gregg McNair trains Dexter Nukes daughter Ms BBD for his mother Gwendolyn McNair of Walkerton.
The other divisions went to Passporttoparadise in 2:04.3, Warrawee Flare in 2:01.3 and Cinnamon Snowball in 2:01.3.
The three-year-old pacing fillies resume their Grassroots campaign on June 12 at Woodstock Raceway, while Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Belleville for more holiday Monday excitement on Aug. 2.