DRESDEN, ON — When the two-year-old trotting fillies arrive at Dresden Raceway on Sunday afternoon for their second Grassroots event, there will be a host of new faces vying for a share of the $100,665 purse.
Only one of the winners from the July 12 season opener will defend her Grassroots title, Trendy Girl from Post 4 in the sixth race, with the others setting their sights on the second round of the Gold Series. Among the fillies hoping to capitalise on their absence is Compania Royal, who finished third in the July 12 Grassroots event at Kawartha Downs and then posted an effortless victory in a maiden event at Hanover Raceway on July 19.
“She raced good there (Kawartha) and she raced even better in Hanover on Saturday night,” says Trueman Galbraith, who bred, owns and trains Compania Royal. “I thought of it (entering in the Gold Series), but then I changed my mind. I thought I’d better see if I could rack up some points.”
Compania Royal will try and add to her 12 Grassroots points from Post 7 in the fourth race, but Galbraith is not concerned that the outside post will hamper the filly’s efforts to move up the leader board.
“I don’t think it matters with her. She can leave pretty good if she has to,” says the Grand Valley, ON resident. “She was parked in Kawartha, then made the front and let the other horses go and sat for the mile. The main thing there was a flat line.”
The Royal Ballad daughter is the last of a long line of Compania horses that Galbraith has bred and raised and the 64 year old horseman would like to see her put together a solid season in what may be his swan song from the harness racing game.
“I used to have three broodmares, but I got rid of them and I’m down to just one, and I might make this my last,” he says. “We’ll just play it by ear, race to race.”
After her solid outings in Kawartha and Hanover Galbraith entertained several offers to purchase the filly, but so far he has opted not to sell.
“I’ve already had a few offers on her, but nothing that suits me yet,” he says. “We’ll see how she races.”
Compania Royal and driver Ross Battin will face seven other freshman trotting fillies in the fourth race on Sunday, two making their racing debut, three who saw action in the Grassroots season opener and two dropping down from the Gold Series. The pair are the only ones of the group to have seen the inside of a winner’s circle or post a top three finish in provincial action.
In addition to Compania Royal and Trendy Girl, top three finishers from Kawartha Downs hoping to pad their point totals are Spring Audit from Post 2 in the eighth race, Marclif Victoria from Post 1 in Race 12 and Softys Caitlyn from Post 2 in Race 12.
Dresden Raceway sends its first race into the starter’s hands at 1 pm with the two-year-old trotting fillies stepping into the spotlight in Races 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12.