INNISFIL, ON — Georgian Downs begins a three week stretch of exciting Ontario Sires Stakes racing this Tuesday, Aug. 15 with nine Grassroots divisions for the three-year-old trotting fillies.
Among the favourites to pad their Grassroots point totals at Georgian Downs is Edward James’ Stonebridge Volare, who makes her third Grassroots start from Post 6 in the tenth race.
“I haven’t seen what she’s in against, but I would think if they’ve got her as the morning line favourite she’s as capable as any of them,” says the Aurora resident. “She’s sound and she’s racing well.”
Stonebridge Volare rides into Tuesday’s contest on a three race win streak. Over the last three weeks the Yankee Paco miss has posted a trio of wins over Flamboro Downs’ half-mile oval, with the most recent coming Thursday, Aug. 10 in a personal best 2:00.1.
“We watched her yesterday on the internet before we came down here,” says James, from an Atlantic City trade show, “And she looked pretty strong. She’s a good honest filly.”
Unraced at two, the half-sister to $398,343 winner Stonebridge Diablo finished sixth in her racing debut at Grand River Raceway on May 8 and then made a break in the Grassroots season opener at the Elora oval on May 22. Those lacklustre efforts prompted trainer Paul Mackenzie to add trotting hopples to Stonebridge Volare’s equipment bag, and since qualifying with the hopples on June 14 she has been no worse than third.
“She had a few problems and she’s just come around,” says James. “She hasn’t really done a lot yet. She’s won three races, but they’ve been easy races.
“Unless she comes a long way she won’t be a great horse, but she’s a decent little filly,” adds the owner. “If she keeps racing as well as she has, she should be all right.”
Stonebridge Volare finished second to division point leader Gramola Grande in her second Grassroots start, on June 28 at Western Fair Raceway, but she needs a couple of strong efforts in the second half of the Grassroots campaign to boost herself into contention for a berth in the lucrative post season.
Among the fillies Stonebridge Volare faces in Tuesday’s tenth race are former Grassroots division winners Self Starter and Delcrest Luckygirl, who will start from Posts 4 and 7, and the consistent Girls Legacy, currently ranked seventh in the division standings and starting from Post 5 on Tuesday.
The three-year-old trotting fillies open Georgian Downs’ Tuesday evening program at 7:35 pm in their first $15,000 Grassroots division and will also star in Races 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egeodftu.html