WOODSTOCK, ON — Local fillies captured three of seven Grassroots divisions at Woodstock Raceway on Saturday afternoon, two of them hailing from the powerful Carl Jamieson stable in Princeton.
Jamieson’s Three Kilo posted one of two 1:59.4 miles on the beautiful summer afternoon program, firing out of Post 6 and cruising around the Woodstock half-mile to a two length victory over St. Lads Survivor and Heart And Flight.
Jody Jamieson drove the two-year-old pacing filly to the win, her first in five attempts, for his father Carl, Dr. Robert Boyce of London, Edward Smith of Milton and Karl Ungerman of Toronto. The partners acquired the Dexter Nukes daughter at last fall’s Canadian Classic Sale for $20,000 and are $4,000 in the black after just one month of freshman racing action.
Six races later the Jamieson’s were back in front of the Woodstock photographer with Island Dreams, who made a break in stride at the three-quarter pole and still came back to nip Danas Dream by a quarter length at the wire. Bacon N Eggs edged out Up Front Booda for third in the 2:03 mile.
Carl Jamieson, Smith, Ungerman and Robin Raine of Cumbria, ENG own Island Dreams, who boasts a flawless Grassroots record through two events. An $11,000 yearling purchase the Island Fantasy daughter has already earned $21,812 through five starts.
Witness To Fame, owned by trainer Bud Sinclair of Stratford and Dr. Norman Amos of St. Marys, was the other local filly who carried home a Grassroots trophy. The Apaches Fame daughter and driver Ray McLean, Jr. also opted to control the pace and led through fractions of :29.4, 1:00.4 and 1:30.4 on their way to the 2:00.2 win over Natural Luck and Benzie.
Sinclair and Amos selected Witness To Fame from the Forest City Yearling Sale for $8,000 and the filly boasts a record of two Grassroots wins through four starts for earnings of $24,087.
“Mr. OSS” Dave Wall piloted Borderlinegorgious to the other 1:59.4 mile on the Grassroots program. Leaving from the trailing Post 8, Wall and the Rambaran daughter stalked pacesetter and fan favourite Triple Fantasy through fractions of :28.4, :58.2 and 1:28.4 before bursting out around the final turn and sprinting down the stretch to a five length victory. Smiling Beauty and Trudys Future rounded out the top three in the $15,000 contest.
Wall’s son Dean trains Borderlinegorgious for his family’s Wall Tyme Stables Inc. of Komoka. The win was the filly’s first in three starts and, added to her runner-up finish in the July 3 Grassroots at Hanover Raceway, gives her a total of 75 points and sole ownership of second-place in the division standings.
The other divisions went to The Cath in 2:01.1, Fabulous Flori in 2:00.4 and E Business in 2:02. The two-year-old pacing fillies make their third Grassroots start at Dresden Raceway on Civic Holiday Monday, Aug. 2.
The Ontario Sires Stakes program will return to Woodstock Raceway in 2005 with a new crop of two and three-year-olds eager to make their presence felt on the provincial stage.