INNISFIL, ON — Well before Riveting Rosie made her Ontario Sires Stakes debut trainer John Bax felt the two-year-old trotting filly would find success on the province’s premier circuit and on Tuesday night at Georgian Downs the filly proved him right with an effortless victory in her Gold Series division.
Riveting Rosie and driver Paul MacDonell controlled the tempo in the second $42,000 division and cruised home three and three-quarter length winners in 2:00.1. Muscle Babe and Aphrodity followed the fan favourites across the finish line.
Peterborough resident Bax shares ownership of Riveting Rosie with J And T Stable of Newmarket, John Hayes of Sharon, and Don Allensen of Wyoming. The partners offered up $17,000 to acquire the daughter of Muscle Mass from last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. In the July 5 Gold Series season opener at Mohawk Racetrack the filly finished second by half a length to Marcella Seelster and that effort combined with Tuesday’s victory put her second in the freshman trotting filly point standings heading into the Aug. 5 Mid-Summer Challenge.
Marcella Seelster cemented her status as the filly to beat in the $150,000 Mid-Summer Challenge with a second straight victory, circling the Georgian Downs oval in 2:00.1 for trainer-driver Jimmy Takter. The Deweycheatumnhowe daughter bested Luck Is All Ineed and Suegrabbitnrun.
Marcella Hall, owned by Christina Takter of New Jersey, John Fielding of Toronto, R A W Equine of Burlington and Jim Fielding of Toronto, is flawless through two Gold Series starts and sits atop the division standings with 100 points.
Deweys Kate (2:00.2), Dream Act (2:00.1) and Herecomesthebride (1:58) captured the other Gold Series divisions and will all compete in the Mid-Summer Challenge at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 5.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Georgian Downs on Saturday, July 27 with the second Grassroots leg for the three-year-old pacing colts.
For complete results please go to Georgian Downs Results