ELMIRA, ON — Three-year-old trotting filly Royal Waltz made an impressive leap up the Grassroots standings at Elmira Raceway on Friday evening, scoring her first Ontario Sires Stakes victory in 2:01.2. The fastest of six Grassroots divisions, the mile forced trainer Budd Thorne to reassess his pre-race comment that the Royal Ballad daughter’s strength was her consistency and not her speed.
Leaving from Post 1 in the tenth race, driver Don McElroy settled Royal Waltz into second spot behind fan favourite Dats Dixie and Elmira regular Jim McClure. As Dats Dixie reeled off fractions of :30.3, 1:01.3 and 1:31.3 McElroy maintained a distance of two lengths behind her and waited for an opportunity to kick Royal Waltz into high gear.
The opportunity arose down the stretch and Royal Waltz delivered an impressive finishing effort to reach the wire two lengths on top in a personal best 2:01.2. Dats Dixie held on for third and long shot Abies Gone closed well to earn third-place honours.
Fergus resident Thorne shares ownership on Royal Waltz with Betty Kowall of Guelph, Quarternote Stables of Richmond Hill and Martin Bandle of Etobicoke. The win boosted the consistent filly’s record to four wins, three thirds and two seconds in 10 starts and elevated her earnings to $22,304. With three Grassroots events remaining in the regular season Royal Waltz sits in a tie for sixth spot in the standings with 62 points.
Zola Smiger moved into the lead in the point race with a 2:01.4 victory in the fourth race. The Seasoned Pleasure daughter and driver Paul Matthews tailed pacesetter Times R Good and favourite Alexa Lou through the mile before pulling away to the one and a half length win, the filly’s second in Grassroots competition. Alexa Lou trotted in to second and Times R Good faded 12 lengths back into third through the last quarter.
Gerald Smith of Locust Hill bred, owns and trains Zola Smiger, who has not finished worse than third since the beginning of July. The filly boasts two wins and one second in three Grassroots starts for a total of 125 points, 13 points ahead of Grand Tiara who captured the third Grassroots division.
Trainer-driver Jim Whelan sent Grand Tiara after the lead from Post 5 in the fourth race and the Brisco Hanover daughter cruised to an uncontested 2:03.4 victory over Incredible Balance and Misshoudini. Troy resident Whelan and Paul Lindsey of Fergus share ownership on Grand Tiara, who has scored two wins and one third in Grassroots competition this season.
Ontario Sires Stakes veteran Ross Battin and favourite Summertimedreams also used a front end strategy to score a 2:03.1 victory in the sixth race. The win wrapped up a successful three week run at Hanover Raceway for the Frank O’Reilly trainee who won her Dream Of Glory elimination and finished second in the Final to Gold level trotting colt Abbey Road C.
John Jesson and John Lessif of Tillsonburg, Duane Hicks of Aylmer and Ronald Lee of Dundas own Summertimedreams, who squeaked into the top 16 with the win. Kiss My Flaps and Meanstoyourdreams picked up the second and third-place finisher’s share of the $15,530 purse.
Crown Lavec maintained her perfect Grassroots record with a 2:03.1 victory in the eighth race and Ion Rouge leapt into a tie with Royal Waltz with her 2:03.4 score in the first race.
The three-year-old trotting fillies make their next Grassroots start on the long weekend, Saturday, Aug. 31 at Woodstock Raceway, while Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Elmira Raceway on Labour Day Monday, Sept. 2 with a Grassroots wild card for the two-year-old trotting colts.