SARNIA, ON — Hiawatha Horse Park presents a full program of Ontario Sires Stakes racing on Thursday evening when the two-year-old pacing fillies, returning to the Sarnia oval for their $130,000 Gold Final, are joined by the three-year-old pacing colts competing in Grassroots action.

Elimination winners Lady Dillinger and She’s Almost Famous headline the Gold Final in Race 9 and Gaetan Hebert is looking for another big effort from his homebred daughter of D M Dilinger and Teenager Girls.

“I put a blind bridle on her last week and she was very aggressive,” says the Freelton resident of Lady Dillinger. “I raced her in the first two starts in an open bridle and she was very lazy.”

The filly made her racing debut in the July 20 Gold Elimination at Kawartha Downs, finishing third behind division leader Lucks Mistress and She’s Almost Famous. In the July 27 Final Lady Dillinger survived a tough on the outside to earn the fifth-place finisher’s share of the $130,000 purse.

In last week’s elimination driver Paul Mackenzie floated the filly off the gate into third and then geared her up for a late sprint that reeled in pacesetter and favourite Babyremembermyname in the final strides.

“We’re just trying to teach her to finish. That’s what I’ve been teaching her all along,” says Hebert. “If I’m in the top five, I’m happy. I’m not greedy.” Lady Dillinger will start from Post 4 in Thursday’s Final and Hebert expects a similar effort from his intelligent, easy going protege.

“She’s like a four-year-old in a two-year-old’s body,” says the trainer. “I have to carry a whip to jog her. I jog her with no check and she’ll walk half a mile before she starts jogging. But once she’s in a race with other horses beside her she’s more competitive.

“You couldn’t ask for a better horse. She just does everything right.” Hebert will also send out a starter in the three-year-old pacing colt event. Sin Wagon will be looking for his first Grassroots win from Post 2 in the first race.

The colts are featured in Races 1 through 8 and 10 through 12 and local horseman Jim Ainsworth will start three young pacers from his Hiawatha barn. Brandonsnorthrnluk, Sunny Supreme and Whitesand Lord will be looking to translate their insider knowledge of the five-eighths mile oval into Grassroots glory in Races 5, 8 and 10.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to Brandonsnorthrnluk, seeing what he can do,” says the Sarnia resident, who owns the colt with his wife Shelley and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga. “He’s only had four lifetime starts, but he seems to be getting better every time he goes in behind the gate. Unfortunately he drew the eight-hole, but I think he can go enough.”

Brandonsnorthrnluk, named for Ainsworth’s son, will start from Post 8 in the fifth race. The Northern Luck colt will bat lead off for his more experienced stablemate Sunny Supreme, who benefits from Post 1 in Race 8.

“He’ll be able to use that to his advantage. He’s got some gate speed and he’s one that if he gets to the front he’s hard to get by,” notes Ainsworth. “I think he’s a 1:52 or 1:53 pacer on a five-eighths track and they’ll probably have to go that much Thursday.”

Ainsworth and William Boden of Vancouver, BC share ownership on Northern Luck son Sunny Supreme and are also co-owners of the stable’s final entry, Whitesand Lord, along with Ross Holmes of Ilderton. The gelding starts from Post 3 in the tenth race.

“I think he’s going to be the sleeper,” says the trainer, noting that the Camluck colt has recovered from a virus he was having trouble shaking early in the season. “I think he’s ready to go a big mile.”

Hiawatha Horse Park’s Ontario Sires Stakes showcase begins at 7:30 pm on Thursday, with the $130,000 Gold Final slated as Race 9 and the remainder of the 12 race card dedicated to the exciting three-year-old pacing colts.