SARNIA, ON — Hiawatha Horse Park wrapped up its 2003 Ontario Sires Stakes season on Thursday evening with an impressive show by the two-year-old pacing fillies.
Competing in seven Grassroots divisions the talented fillies delivered five miles faster than 1:57.3, with the fastest win of the evening going to Manhattan Killean. The Run The Table daughter stalked pacesetter and fan favourite A And Gs Rockette through fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:26.1 before shifting into overdrive through the stretch and pulling away to a two and a half length victory in 1:56.2.
Shayne Barrington drove Manhattan Killean to her first lifetime victory for trainer John Barrington and owner Zorica Martinovic of Toronto, who acquired the filly for just $4,200 at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale. The win improved the filly’s record to one win, one second and two thirds in six starts and bumped her earnings to $20,025.
Whirling Away and Lucky For Her picked up the second and third-place shares of the $18,000 purse, while A And Gs Rockette faded to fourth.
Cinnamon Snowball established herself as a favourite heading into the Oct. 24 Grassroots Semifinals with her third straight victory in the provincial series and fourth of the year. The Rustler Hanover daughter and Wai Man Yeung controlled the pace from start to finish, reaching the wire one and a half lengths ahead of Briars Luck and Lucky In Lust in 1:57.1.
Markham resident Yeung also trains Cinnamon Snowball and shares ownership on the gifted novice with Rocco Auciello of Stouffville.
Hiawatha fans were treated to a phenomenal finish in Race 8 when the top four finishers crossed the wire less than two lengths apart and Sexy Specs and Armbro Bell were so close together that racing official ruled a dead heat for third.
Favourite Wipethatsmerkoff earned the wire-to-wire victory in 1:58, narrowly defeating Jim Ainsworth trainee Ruthie Supreme for the top prize. Brenda Spence trains Wipethatsmerkoff for owner and breeder CMT Farms of Arnprior. The Grinfromeartoear lass started the year in the Gold Series, but wrapped up her season in third spot in the Grassroots point race.
Armbro Bracken scored an impressive victory in the fourth Grassroots division to land a spot in the post season. The Island Fantasy daughter and driver Dave Boughton sat on the outside through the entire mile, including a three-wide stint at the three-quarter pole that put them in position to reel in pacesetter Village Blush down the stretch. Shes All American landed in third spot in the 1:57.2 mile.
Michael Grant trains Armbro Bracken for Karen Hart of Cranford, NJ, Kiyoshi Sugasawa of Cliffside Park, NJ and Steven Lipman of Bradenton, FL. The win was the filly’s second in just two outings this season and moved her into a five-way tie for ninth in the division standings.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Fit For Britt in 1:57.2, Regal Rose in 1:58.3 and Bastet Hanover in 1:57. The top 16 point earners through the six regular season events now turn their sights toward the Oct. 24 Semifinals at Western Fair Raceway, with the top four finishers from the two Semifinals earnings the right to compete in the Oct. 31 Grassroots Championship.
The Ontario Sires Stakes program looks forward to the 2004 season at Hiawatha Horse Park, when a fresh crop of trotters and pacers will be eager to make their mark on the provincial stage.