SUDBURY, ON — Two weeks ago Ben Wallace captured three divisions of the Grassroots season opener for two-year-old pacing fillies, and the Milton resident would love to match that accomplishment at Sudbury Downs on Saturday.

“I was really happy with them at Woodstock,” says the trainer. “It’s maybe not the best place to start a two-year-old filly, but they got around good and won handily.”

Wallace trekked to the Woodstock Raceway winner’s circle behind Coalford Rustler, St Pattys Love and Ridere, and while Ridere will not make the trip to Sudbury she has been replaced by Coalford Laughter, who started her season with a runner-up finish in a world record mile at Flamboro Downs.

“We maybe got a little excited when she finished second in the miracle mile at Flamboro,” admits Wallace. “We went to the Gold with her at Grand River and things didn’t go as well as we hoped. She maybe had an excuse for not racing better, but she should be a decent filly in that group (at Sudbury).”

After finishing second to Luck Of Michelle at Flamboro, Coalford Laughter met up with the world record holder again in the July 3 Gold Elimination at Grand River Raceway and finished 21 lengths back in sixth. While Wallace thinks the filly should be able to find her niche in the Grassroots program, she will be handicapped by the outside Post 8 in her debut.

“The eight-hole, that will sting her a little,” says the horseman, who will entrust the Grinfromeartoear daughter to regular driver Mario Baillargeon in Saturday’s fourth race.

Gary Maw of Littletown County Durham, ENG owns both Coalford Laughter and Coalford Rustler, who will start from Post 1 in the second race Saturday. Like her stablemate, Coalford Rustler made her debut in the Flamboro Breeders event on June 24 where she finished fifth after suffering interference at the start.

Based on that performance, Wallace opted to send the Rustler Hanover daughter to the Grassroots in Woodstock and she delivered an impressive effort to land the 2:00.3 victory.

While Baillargeon opted for a come-from-behind trip with Coalford Rustler at Woodstock, the veteran reinsman chose to control the pace with St Pattys Love. The Mach Three lass cruised around on the front end to a three and one-quarter length victory in 2:00.2 for owner and breeder Alfred Ross of South Dartmouth, MA.

“They both shape up to be good in with that (Grassroots) group,” says Wallace. “And they both had good weeks; they should be good Saturday.”

St Pattys Love made her racing debut with the Woodstock victory and will be looking for a second Grassroots trophy from Post 3 in the ninth race.

Post time at Sudbury Downs on Saturday evening is 7:15 pm and the two-year-old pacing fillies will show off their skills in Races 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esudbysa.html