DRESDEN, ON — After a month long break, Ontario’s talented three-year-old trotting fillies return to Grassroots action at Dresden Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

Forty-nine fillies will compete for a total of $105,000 on the matinee program and trainer Ron O’Neill hopes Summerhill Hallie can earn a sizeable chunk of the Ontario Sires Stakes purse after her solid performance in last Saturday’s Canadian Breeders Championship at Woodbine Racetrack.

“She was in a little bit over her head, but I was pretty pleased with her,” says O’Neill of the filly’s eighth-place finish. “She trotted around 1:56.2 with a last quarter in :28.1 and there’s nothing wrong with that. I didn’t think she’d trot that fast to be honest.

“And I think it stretched her out a little bit. She’ll be pretty good this weekend hopefully.”

Summerhill Hallie was one of six Grassroots regulars to try their hand at the Canadian Breeders event, one of two to advance to the $112,770 Final and the only one to start after Sno Doubt About It had to withdraw due to sickness. The Angus Hall daughter finished sixth lengths behind top Gold Series filly McCall Magic in the stakes record 1:55.1 mile.

After her creditable performance O’Neill and owners Debi Martin and Paul Larrabee of Freelton and Daniel Harper of Toronto gave some consideration to moving Summerhill Hallie up to the Gold Series for this weekend’s test.

“We kind of thought about it, but I thought we’d try her one more time in the Grassroots at Dresden,” says Cambridge resident O’Neill. “It looks like she’s probably going to be in the Final for the Grassroots, so if she does well after Dresden maybe we’ll try her in the Gold.”

Summerhill Hallie currently sits tied for third spot in the three-year-old trotting filly Grassroots standings with 105 points earned through two wins and one fifth-place finish. The filly’s personal best performance came in the July 10 Grassroots event at Sudbury Downs where she circled the field around the final turn and trotted off to a seven length victory in 2:00.4.

“She raced just super in Sudbury,” recalls O’Neill. “Ross (Battin) drove her and she was about five-wide down the backstretch and got around them halfway through the last turn then just kept going.

“I had told Ross that I thought she had one good quarter in her and to try and save it for the end. When he moved her I thought, �Whew, he’s using it up a little early,’ but she just kept going.”

Summerhill Hallie will attempt to add a third Grassroots victory to her resume from Post 6 in the fifth race on Sunday with Dave Boughton returning to the race bike. Among the fillies standing in her way are Grassroots division winners Cassatt from Post 1 and Desi Sweet Sixteen from Post 4.

Dresden Raceway also features the three-year-old trotting fillies in Races 1, 3, 7, 9, 11 and 13 on the 1 pm program Sunday.