SUDBURY, ON — Senorita Conchnita is the first two-year-old Stephen Scrannage has ever paid into the Ontario Sires Stakes program, and the young trotter will make her provincial debut over her hometown oval this Sunday afternoon when the Grassroots circuit makes its second stop at Sudbury Downs.

“She’s the first one I ever paid up, to be honest,” admits Scrannage. “But she did everything so good all winter, she was kind of ahead of schedule of a lot of one’s I had.”

A $3,200 purchase from the Canadian Open Yearling Sale, Senorita Conchnita was a quick study through her early lessons and Scrannage credits the hours he logged with the youngster last fall for her appearance in the freshman Ontario Sires Stakes program. Through the winter the filly saw the jog cart most days, so when Sudbury Downs reopened this spring she was ready to move forward with her training.

After steady progress in her training times, Scrannage attempted to qualify the In Conchnito daughter on July 12 and 19, but the young trotter made early breaks on both occasions. In her third outing behind the starting gate things came together for Senorita Conchnita and she delivered a solid 2:07.2 mile.

“It’s a little bit tough to get them going behind the gate here,” notes the Chelmsford resident. “There’s one qualifier a night, and it’s usually pacers, and they go pretty fast.”

In contrast, Senorita Conchnita’s southern peers have Mohawk Racetrack’s Saturday morning two-year-old only qualifiers where they can practice their skills and polish their racing craft. In spite of the filly’s disadvantages, Scrannage and trainer Denise Beaudoin are confident Senorita Conchnita will hold her own against the field of seven Grassroots hopefuls preparing to battle in Sudbury’s fifth race.

“I think it is a good draw for us,” explains Scrannage, who will steer the filly from Post 2. “Wayne Henry has one in there (Town Hall Babe) that looks like it will be tough, it finished third in a Gold Elimination, but otherwise it looks like a pretty close draw for us.”

Three other fillies head into the $20,000 Grassroots division off qualifiers, two are Grassroots veterans and two are dropping down to the Grassroots from the Gold Series. The Henry Stable’s Town Hall Babe will start from Post 4, while Paidmedorayme, who finished third in the July 19 Grassroots season opener, will start from the outside Post 8.

Scrannage hopes that home field advantage will also come into play for Senorita Conchnita. While her peers spend the day in a horse trailer, she will be resting in her own stall, and when it comes time to head into the paddock and onto the racetrack she will be in familiar surroundings.

“It’s kind of a nice thing for us to have it here. She’s trained over the track, she knows it, she knows the paddock,” says the horseman. “If we’re ever going to do good in one, it’ll be this one.”

If Senorita Conchnita delivers an impressive performance at home on Sunday, Scrannage will be faced with a decision about making his own long haul to the other Grassroots events. The next event is at Georgian Downs, less than four hours from Chelmsford, but the other three freshman trotting filly Grassroots contests will be held in Elora, Dundas and Windsor.

“So far she seems to be real nice,” muses Scrannage. “We’ll find out Sunday anyway.”

Post time for Sudbury Downs’ Sunday afternoon program is 1 pm and the two-year-old trotting fillies will wage their Grassroots battles in Races 2, 3, 5 and 6.

For complete entries please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esudbysu.html.