SARNIA, ON — Last fall Don McElroy clinched his first Lampman Cup victory with a trio of wins in the sophomore Grassroots Championship at Hiawatha Horse Park. Back in Sarnia on Saturday night, the veteran reinsman established himself as contender for a second Ontario Sires Stakes driving championship with wins in four of seven Grassroots events for the three-year-old pacing fillies.
The Ingersoll resident hit his stride at the midpoint of the program when he drove Camluck daughter Caliterra to a narrow 1:54.2 victory in Race 5.
Caliterra is trained by Doug Brown for Brian Legge of Toronto and Dr. David Legge of Ajax and lowered her personal best by six full seconds with the win, her third of the season and first in OSS competition.
Victorious Killean closed like a rocket to earn the runner-up’s share of the $15,704 purse while Lucky Entry held on for third.
Three races later McElroy was back in the Hiawatha winner’s circle with Signature Seelster, who has a perfect record of two starts and two wins in Grassroots competition this season. Another daughter of Camluck, Signature Seelster is trained by Don LeBlanc for WDM Stables of Ancaster. The 1:55.2 score over Grand Molly and Winter Roses was also a personal best for Signature Seelster, but took just one-fifth of a second off her former best effort.
In Race 9 McElroy and Come Hither Look scored a $46.10 upset with their first win of the season. Leaving from Post 10, McElroy and the Gothic Dream filly sat at the back of the pack through the early stages of the race and then made a bold three-wide move past the three-quarter mile marker that took them into second spot. Just a half length back at the top of the stretch, Come Hither Look was a full length in front of Shesabeast and Armbro Wishingwell at the wire, stopping the clock in 1:55.
Ben Wallace trains Come Hither Look for Jeffrey Langfelder and Ephraim Spielman of Atlanta, GA. The filly’s fans earned a tidy $46.10 to win, $15.10 to place and $3.40 to show.
Finally, McElroy and last year’s Johnston Cup winning trainer Robert McIntosh connected on a winner in the tenth race after having finished out of the money with a pair of fan favourites earlier in the evening. Its A Cam Lie stopped the clock at 1:54.3 to score her second Grassroots win and record a lifetime best effort. Windsor resident McIntosh shares ownership on the filly with CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH.
The other three divisions went to Village Luminous in 1:55.2, Nicki Newton in 1:53.2 and Maddy Girl in 1:55.1.
Hiawatha Horse Park fans were also treated to exciting action by Ontario’s top three-year-old pacing colts in the Final of the Clearwater Cup. Firstline Luck posted a 1:51 victory in the $$61,600 Final, lowering the former record for sophomore pacing colts by one-fifth of a second.
The three-year-old pacing fillies return to Grassroots action on July 5 at Sudbury Downs and Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Hiawatha Horse Park on July 4 with Grassroots divisions for the two-year-old trotting fillies.