SUDBURY, ON — Ontario’s talented two-year-old pacing fillies lit up the night sky at Sudbury Downs on Saturday, and Northern Jade set the tone for the Grassroots event with a track record in the first division.
Leaving from Post 4, driver Jody Jamieson sent the Northern Luck daughter directly to the front and never needed to glance over his shoulder as the filly sailed through fractions of :29.3, :59.4 and 1:29, pulling away from the field with every stride. Reaching the wire five lengths ahead of Deal Me Sevens and 17 lengths up on Benzie, Northern Jade halted the Sudbury teletimer at 1:59 to peel three-fifths of a second off Wendys Rocket’s 2002 record for freshman pacing fillies.
Windsor resident Jack Darling trains Northern Jade for his partner Daniel Smith of London and the win was the filly’s third through six outings.
Fannies Fortune and Just Rich Enough both equalled the former track record with sharp performances in the second and fifth Grassroots divisions.
Apaches Fame daughter Fannies Fortune and driver Stuart Sowerby stalked pacesetter Easy Operator before stepping up in the stretch to record the half length win in 1:59.3 for trainer Gregg McNair and owner-breeder Robert B. Chapple of Chatham.
Jamieson picked up a second victory with a come-from-behind effort aboard Just Rich Enough that saw the Grinfromeartoear filly get a neck in front of Eye Max to score the 1:59.3 win. Brett Pelling trains the first time winner for breeders Kentuckiana Racing Stable of Lexington, KY.
The other two divisions were both clocked in 2:00, with Fabulous Flori opting for a come-from-behind strategy in the third division and Angelina Seelster going gate-to-wire in Race 10.
Mark Austin trains Fabulous Flori for owner-breeder Paul Lindsey of Fergus. The win was the Rambaran daughter’s fourth this season and her second straight.
Angelina Seelster was making her first appearance in the winner’s circle for trainer Bob McIntosh and owner-breeders Seelster Farms Inc. of Lucan.
The two-year-old pacing fillies wrap up their Grassroots regular season on Oct. 15 at Grand River Raceway, while the Ontario Sires Stakes program makes its final stop in Sudbury on Saturday, Oct. 9 with the last Grassroots skirmish for the two-year-old trotting fillies.