FRASERVILLE, ON — Ontario’s talented two-year-olds delivered an exceptional evening of racing at Kawartha Downs on Saturday, capped by a track record performance in the first pacing filly Grassroots Semifinal.
A Fiesty Affair and driver Brad Forward rocketed around the Fraserville oval to a 1:54 score, three-fifths of a second faster than the former track record, set by Glendale Kim in 1994.
Division points leader Onyx Killean finished one and three-quarter lengths behind the fan favourite, with third and fourth-place finishers Shipps Bikini and Got The Munchies four more lengths to the rear.
Bill Elliott trains A Fiesty Affair for owner and breeder Robert Hamather of Exeter. In 13 starts the daughter of Camluck and So Fiesty has recorded seven wins and one third, and she will be shooting for her sixth straight win in next Saturday’s $100,000 Grassroots Championship.
The other pacing filly Semifinal saw Michael Whelan and Kingfishers Gypsy shake loose late and sprint down the stretch to a half length victory over pacesetter and favourite St Lads Seraph. Nika and Stonebridge Nugget battled their way to third and fourth-place finishes in the 1:56.3 mile.
“It was a slow last quarter, but she was flying the last little bit,” said caretaker Paul �Huey’ Clark. “We are quite happy to have got her this far.”
Clark and trainer Robert Fellows handle the Bo Knows Jate daughter for Michael Capton of Ohsweken.
Allamerican Dice also benefited from sharp early fractions in the first pacing colt split. The Grinfromeartoear son and driver Bruce Richardson sat just off the pace through the :27 opening quarter and :56 half, then swept to the front before the 1:24.3 three-quarters and held on for a three-quarter length victory in 1:54.4. Lyons Geoff, Excel Nine and Grinning Breed rounded out the top four finishers.
“That was a tough trip. He came hard and battled them down,” said Susanne Kerwood, who trains Allamerican Dice for Irving Bork of Ellington, CT and Lightning 5 Racing Stable of Plainview, NY. “He raced huge, he really did.”
Just A Suggestion and Don McElroy led the second pacing colt Semifinal from start to finish, rolling under the wire in 1:55.2, one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Round About Fame. Docdor Doc finished third and fan favourite Dougs Fame claimed the last spot in the $100,000 Final.
The son of Camluck is owned by breeders Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of LaSalle, Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell. Bob McIntosh trains the young pacer, who now has three wins, two seconds and one third through nine starts.
Quintessential K delivered a flawless front end performance in the first trotting filly division, cruising home a six and a half length winner in 1:59.1. Tameka Seelster picked up the second-place share of the $30,000 purse, Debt Reduction was 14 lengths back in third and PC Monirail was two more lengths to the rear in fourth.
“I love my chances next week, and I love my filly,” said trainer-driver Terrence Tomlin. “She ruins the myth that if you make a pet out of them they’re not good racehorses.”
Tomlin conditions the King Conch miss for Mitchell Walker of Davison, MI, and has teamed her to six wins and two seconds in nine starts.
Arthur resident Trevor Henry piloted Fiesty Fergie to a 2:00.2 victory in the second trotting filly Semifinal for his brother and partner Wayne Henry of Arthur and Daniel McCann of Parkhill. The Fiesty G G lass reeled in pacesetter Live In Love to record the one length win, her second in eight starts.
Good Common Cents claimed third-place honours, while Travelin Supergirl, owned by Peter Heffering of Port Perry, overcame an early break to finish fourth and advance to next Saturday’s championship.
Trotting colt Start Livin delivered an impressive effort in the first Semifinal, slugging it out on the outside to get up for a head victory over pacesetter and favourite The Mash Potato. Abe Linkin was just one length back in third and Nureyev closed smartly to finish fourth in the 1:59.2 mile.
“He raced tremendous,” said caretaker Dan Baxter. “That’s three in a row, and he’s come from behind in all of them. He keeps getting better and better.”
Dan Creighton trains Start Livin for his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy, who also bred the Striking Sahbra son, and Doug Brown piloted the novice trotter to the win.
Golden Genes Hall sprinted down the stretch to a two and three-quarter length triumph in the other trotting colt Semifinal. The Striking Sahbra son and trainer-driver Duke Sugg stopped the clock at 2:00 to record their second victory over the Kawartha Downs oval.
“He seems to get over this track a lot better than he does the small tracks,” noted Sugg, who trains the colt for Wayne Farthing of Findlay, OH.
Pacesetter Canadian Frontier settled for second, while Jack Man and Rodeo Red battled for third and fourth.
The top four finishers from each Semifinal will return to Kawartha Downs next Saturday, Oct. 27 for their respective Grassroots Championships, joining the three-year-old finalists for an $800,000 evening of Ontario Sires Stakes excitement.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rkdfsa.html