SUDBURY, ON — Three-year-old pacing filly Maddy Girl impressed fans at Sudbury Downs on Friday night when she cam within one-fifth of a second of equalling a 14-year-old track record held by great Ontario Sires Stakes competitor Silver Reign.
Maddy Girl delivered an effort worthy of a champion in the fifth race, spending most of the mile on the outside of early leader Shesabeast and then powering home to score a ten length victory in 1:57.3. The northern oval’s track record for three-year-old pacing fillies is 1:57.2.
Trainer Jim Ainsworth drove the gifted daughter of Run The Table, who now has two wins and one fifth in Grassroots action this season. Sarnia-based Ainsworth and his wife Shelley share ownership on the winner of $146,587 with Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga.
Marissa Seelster and Sienna Seelster followed Maddys Girl’s lead up the outside to collect the second and third-place finisher’s share of the $26,783 purse.
Ainsworth came within two lengths of scoring a second win when Armbro Wand finished behind Feelin Jiffy in the third Grassroots division. Feelin Jiffy stopped the clock at 1:59, the second fastest division of the evening. Nems Sis rounded out the top three.
Phil Coole trains the Village Jiffy daughter for breeder Jeffrey Thomson of Chesley. The win was Feelin Jiffy’s first of the year and boosted her Grassroots point total to 75.
Our Gal Bonnie scored an upset in the final division when favourite Armbro Wishingwell made a break in the early stages of the race. The Dexter Nukes filly’s 1:59.3 effort returned $33.50 for a winning ticket, $5.90 to place and $9.70 to show.
Murray Brethour trains and drives Our Gal Bonnie for breeder Brian Scott and Jill Scott of Lakefield. The win improved the filly’s record to two wins, two seconds and one third in 11 starts.
Pacesetter Wahnapitae paced home for second and Village Luminous earned third spot.
The other division went to Red Star Veronica in a head decision over Zorgwijk Cherry. The fillies battled down the stretch and hit the wire in 2:01, leaving a two length gap in front of third-place finisher Brittash. Rene Laarman trains Red Star Veronica for owner-breeder Robert Murphy of White Rock, BC.
The three-year-old pacing fillies make their next Grassroots start at Kawartha Downs on Aug. 3, the same day the two-year-old pacing fillies make their way to Sudbury Downs for their third Grassroots event.