INNISFIL, ON — Fifty-six two-year-old pacing fillies are headed to Georgian Downs on Tuesday evening to compete for a total of $105,000 in the fourth of six Grassroots events on their schedule this season.
Hoping to carve a niche out for herself in the last three Grassroots events is David Byron trainee Ellen’s Rocket, who makes her racing debut from Post 2 in the sixth race. The Pacific Rocket daughter heads into the $15,101 contest with just two qualifiers over the Georgian Downs surface under her belt after a nasty bout of sickness kept her out of the early season action.
“She’s a little behind. She got sick and didn’t get over it too quickly,” says Byron. “She has two qualifiers into her; we were hoping to have a start into her, but this one is close to home so I thought it wouldn’t be too bad.”
Owned by breeder Ian MacIntosh of Schomberg and Robert and Joan MacSporran of Shanty Bay, Ellen’s Rocket qualified Aug. 6 in 2:02.3 and then knocked a few more seconds off in her second effort on Aug. 13.
“Her first qualifier she went in 2:02.3 and in the last one she went in 2:00,” notes Byron. “She’ll have to drop a couple more seconds to be competitive, but we’re hoping she can do that.”
So far the Thornton resident has been impressed with the filly’s attitude and he is hoping Tuesday’s outing will give her a chance to prove she belongs with the top fillies in the province.
“She’s got a good attitude. Pacific Rockets can get a little warm, but so far she hasn’t done that, she’s been pretty relaxed at the racetrack,” he says. “We’re hoping she’s competitive at the Grassroots. If she is, we’ll race her for the rest of the season and then rest her up for next year.
“She’s got a nice gait to her and good size and everything, she just lost a bit of time with the sickness. She didn’t seem to shake it too quickly.”
Stephen Byron will pilot Ellen’s Rocket from Post 2 on Tuesday, with the duo facing off against three other newcomers to the Ontario Sires Stakes scene and four Grassroots veterans, including Magnifcentbaroness who won a Grassroots division at Quinte Exhibition Raceway on Aug. 1 and will start from Post 7.
Division leader Stonehouse Annie, owned by breeder Anne Lawrence of Spencerville, makes her bid for a third Grassroots victory from Post 4 in the second division.
The two-year-old pacing fillies kick off Georgian Downs’s Tuesday evening program at 7:35 pm and are also featured in Races 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. For a complete list of entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egeodftu.html