LONDON, ON — Spun Sugar delivered an impressive performance in the fastest of three Trillium Series divisions at Western Fair Raceway on Friday evening.
The three-year-old pacing filly and driver Trevor Henry got the upper hand on favourite Canadette off the gate and never relinquished control through fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:27.4. Powering under the wire in 1:57.3, Spun Sugar was one and a half lengths ahead of Canadette, who was making her first start on Ontario soil since winning the Northlands Filly Pace in Alberta on May 26. Rare Ambition finished six and three-quarter lengths behind the leaders in third.
Trained by Ben Wallace for Bradley Grant of Milton, Spun Sugar’s victory marked her second straight appearance in the winner’s circle through five starts this season. The Camluck miss was also a 1:53.1 winner at Mohawk Racetrack on May 28.
Also extending her early season win steak to two was Secret Grin, a 1:58.2 winner in the first $23,617 Trillium division. Leading the field through a :29 opening quarter, and :59.1 half, Secret Grin and driver Randy Fritz fought off a determined attack from Just Her Way heading by the 1:28.1 three-quarters and then dug deep in the stretch to score the one and a half length win.
Just Her Way stayed game for second and Lil Motion, owned and trained by Stephen Gillard of Tavistock, rounded out the top three.
Mardon Stables of Loretto own Secret Grin, who started her win streak with a 1:54.4 effort in the Grassroots season opener at Georgian Downs on May 22. Bruce MacDonald trains the Grinfromeartoear daughter.
The final Trillium division saw American-bred Streetcarnamedsire partner with driving legend Dave Wall for a 1:58.1 upset. The pair stalked pacesetter and fan favourite Crazy She Calls Me through fractions of :27.3, :57 and 1:26.2 before firing up in the last quarter to take the 1:58.1 victory by three-quarters of a length.
Exquisite Alberta, owned by Colleen Belore and James and Jean Caddey of Embro, finished second, and Goldies Cam picked up the third-place cheque.
Blair Burgess trains Streetcarnamedsire for his father Robert Burgess of Campbellville and his wife Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton. The filly is by former Burgess trainee Real Desire.
After entertaining fans at Western Fair Raceway for three weeks, Ontario’s talented sophomore pacing fillies make their next Gold Series start on June 24 at Mohawk Racetrack, and their next Grassroots start at Flamboro Downs on June 27. Next up on the London oval’s Ontario Sires Stakes schedule are Grassroots divisions for the exciting three-year-old pacing colts, on Monday, June 18.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rlonfr.html