REXDALE, ON — Secret Grin has enjoyed a great deal of luck in the Trillium Series during her career, but owner Marvin Chantler is afraid her streak may come to an end this Thursday at Woodbine Racetrack when she will start from the outside Post 8 in a talent laden field.

“We’ve had some luck in the Trillium,” says Chantler. “But she’s got her work cut out for her Thursday. Spun Sugar went a great trip last week, Canadette went a great trip, and then there are Million Dollar Cam and Jans Luck. From the eight-hole, and with the class of fillies in that race, I expect we’d be ducking for a hole and racing down the lane.”

The remarkably consistent Secret Grin scored a win, a third and a fourth in the Trillium Series as a two-year-old, and has one win and one third to her credit in the program this season. Through 17 starts the Grinfromeartoear daughter boasts a record of four wins, five seconds and four thirds for earnings of $83,162. At two, Secret Grin was never worse than fifth in 11 starts, and she has only missed two cheques this season.

“She’s a gutsy little mare. She’s a grinder, she likes to grind it out,” says Chantler, who shares ownership on the filly with his wife Donna through their Mardon Stables. “She has a heart of gold, she never wants to quit.”

On Aug. 30 the filly posted a 1:53.1 personal best in an overnight at Mohawk Racetrack, and came back one week later with a 1:51.2 performance to finish second behind her Grassroots rival Canadette. The miles impressed Chantler and trainer Bruce MacDonald of Alliston, and both men feel the filly is getting stronger as she matures. As a result they have decided Secret Grin will remain in their stable for another year to take a stab at the conditioned ranks at Mohawk and Woodbine.

“We plan on racing her next year at Woodbine to see if she can move up the ladder to be a conditioned horse. We think she can,” says Chantler. “We kind of think she seems to be getting better.”

Since making the decision to retain Secret Grin, the Loretto resident has disappointed more than one potential suitor for the filly, both those that would like to add her to their broodmare band, and those that agree she will be a valuable asset as an aged race mare.

“There were lots of questions in Lexington (Kentucky) about her, and the answer is, �No, she is not for sale,'” he says. “Normally we don’t keep horses past three, but we will with Secret Grin. She’s got a fantastic attitude, she just never races bad. She gives you everything she’s got.”

Roger Mayotte will pilot the filly from Post 8 on Thursday, with Gold Final winner Milliondollarsmile looking for her third straight win from Post 3. Looking for their second straight triumph are Grassroots regulars Canadette and Spun Sugar, and Gold Series filly Jans Luck, who will start from Posts 5, 6 and 7 respectively.

The fillies square off in the last Trillium Series event of their careers in Race 6 on Thursday, with Woodbine Racetrack’s first race going postward at 7:40 pm.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/ewdbsth.html#N6