SUDBURY, ON — Sudbury Downs kicks off its 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes season on Sunday afternoon with six Grassroots divisions of two-year-old trotting fillies competing for a total of $98,130.

Brian Hodgson will harness a pair of fillies in the second Grassroots event of the season and is looking for a solid effort from Sandra’s Pleasure in Race 1 and Orillia Seelster in Race 8. Sandra’s Pleasure makes her debut in the Grassroots program after starting her freshman campaign with a third-place performance in the Gold Series season opener at Mohawk Racetrack on July 5.

“We thought we would give the Gold a try the first time, it was closer to home,” says Hodgson. “And she raced well. She just missed by the draw to get into the Final.”

With the next Gold Series taking place in Ottawa, and stablemate Orillia Seelster pointed toward the Grassroots, Hodgson opted to drop Sandra’s Pleasure down for her second Ontario Sires Stakes test. To ensure the Super Pleasure daughter could navigate Sudbury’s half-mile oval the Woodstock resident entered her in a July 20 overnight at Flamboro Downs and Sandra’s Pleasure responded with an impressive effort that saw her edged into second just steps from the wire.

“She raced well, just beat by a nose. She just got a little sleepy on the front, it was more inexperience than actually losing the race,” says Hodgson, who trains Sandra’s Pleasure for breeders 794495 Ontario Ltd. Ja Mar Stables of St. Thomas. “It was also the first time she had the test of passing horses and she showed some grit.”

The filly’s early season success has been especially gratifying to Hodgson, who struggled for more than a month last fall to teach the young trotter her first few lessons.

“She had a rough start, she was a little obstinate to break. She liked to lay down going out to the track,” recalls the trainer. “But she was a pretty steady mare after that . She was pretty good gaited all winter and quite willing.

“She’s really a decent mare to look after now.”

While Sandra’s Pleasure struggled through her early lessons, Orillia Seelster’s struggles came this spring when she came down with a virus and was plagued by acute muscle soreness after her June 11 qualifier.

“It was quite a song and dance even getting her ready for the race in Peterborough (July 12),” says Hodgson. “It was five and a half or six weeks between races for her so she went in quite short, but she responded very well.”

Hodgson’s efforts paid off as Orillia Seelster delivered a runner-up performance in the Grassroots season opener at Kawartha Downs and bounced back better than she had been in the weeks leading up to the race. With the promise of temperate weather on Sunday, the trainer is expecting a first class effort from the Eager Seelster daughter.

“I expect the Orillia Seelster mare to go a big race. She’s got a decent post and she gets off the wings well,” says Hodgson, who trains the filly for Yves Blouin of London and Ming Siu of Richmond, BC. “Training all winter, she looked superior to the other mare.”

Dave “Mr. OSS” Wall will drive both fillies Sunday, sending Sandra’s Pleasure off the wings from Post 6 in the first race and firing Orillia Seelster out from Post 3 in Race 8.

Post time at Sudbury Downs on Sunday afternoon is 1 pm, with the two-year-old trotting fillies stealing the spotlight in Races 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8.

For a complete list of Grassroots entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esudbysu.html