INNISFIL, ON — For the second time this month, three-year-old pacing filly Prairie Tracker delivered a mile faster than any of her Grassroots peers when she and driver Paul Mackenzie circled Georgian Downs in 1:53.1 on Tuesday evening.
Starting from the advantageous Post 1, Mackenzie wasted no time sending the Presidential Ball daughter after the lead and the filly hit the opening quarter in a smart :27.2. Through fractions of :56.3 and 1:25 Prairie Tracker maintained a one and one-quarter length lead and then picked up the pace on her way to a two and three-quarter length victory over Highly Charged. Renaissance Woman finished 10 lengths behind the leaders in third.
Prairie Tracker’s 1:53.1 effort was a personal best for the filly, who is owned by Edward James of Aurora, and was just a breath short of matching the 1:53 track record held by former Gold Series star Precious Delight. Since arriving in Ontario from Alberta on June 8, Prairie Tracker is a flawless three for three, including a pair of Grassroots wins. At the midpoint in the six race Grassroots season the filly sits in a two-way tie for second in the division standings with 100 points.
Another daughter of Presidential Ball, St Lads Hailaroo, claimed sole ownership of top spot in the point race with a 1:54 score in the last Grassroots division. With Jason Brewer back in the race bike for trainer Sandra Spencer of Windsor and her partner Veronica St. Pierre of Ruscom Station, the filly tracked pacesetter CMR Maybe Loaded through fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:25.2 before bursting out in the stretch to score the half length victory.
CMR Maybe Loaded settled for second, while Island Tide was nine lengths back in third.
A winner in the June 16 event at Western Fair Raceway, St Lads Hailaroo finished second in the May 22 season opener at Quinte Exhibition Raceway and currently has 125 points to her credit.
Alias Seelster eked out her second straight victory in the eighth race, hanging on by a nose for the 1:54.3 score over Vals Joanie and Beechwood Duchess.
The win was the third in four starts for Alias Seelster, who started her Ontario Sires Stakes season with a fifth-place finish in the Gold Series season opener before dropping back down to the Grassroots program. Denfield resident Ray Bunn trains the Intrepid Seelster lass for his partner Lisa Steward of Denfield.
While front end speed seemed to be holding up well at Georgian Downs on Tuesday, Infamous Dame kicked the evening off with an exciting come from behind victory. The Apaches Fame miss and trainer-driver Joe Hudon, Jr. got away nine lengths behind the leaders in sixth and watched in awe as fan favourite Feel The Pulse put up fractions of :26.4, :56.1 and 1:25.3. Two and three-quarter lengths back in fifth when the fillies turned for home, Infamous Dame kicked into high gear and powered to a quarter length decision over Smileifyoucan and Rebels Fantasy, while Feel The Pulse faded to eighth.
R A W Equine Inc. of Mississauga, Count Duke Stable of Acton and Herbert Boggs of Duncan, BC share ownership on Infamous Dame, who was making her first appearance in the winner’s circle in 18 lifetime starts.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Plumbing Princess in 1:54, Finding The Dream in 1:54.1, Camaronni N Cheese in 1:55.1, She Goes All Davay in 1:53.4 and Monte Carlo Madam in 1:56.1.
The talented three-year-old pacing fillies return to Grassroots action on July 9 at Clinton Raceway, while the Ontario Sires Stakes program returns to Georgian Downs next Tuesday, July 4 with the first Grassroots event for the two-year-old trotting fillies.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rgeodftu.html