JULY 30, 2015 – On Thursday evening at Mohawk Racetrack the two-year-old trotting fillies hit the halfway point in their harness racing Grassroots season and Toss It Back edged out to a narrow lead in the division point standings with her second straight win.
Lining up at Post 8 on the Mohawk Racetrack starting gate, driver Phil Hudon sent Toss It Back straight to the front and the filly rolled to a :29 opening quarter. The pair continued unchallenged through a :59.2 half and 1:29.2 three-quarters and held on in the stretch for a one-half length victory in 1:58.3. Bahama Mama AS and Anneli Hanover finished second and third.
"She's a nice filly. She raced a little green down the lane, she was getting a little tired," noted Guelph, ON resident Hudon. "She's great gaited and has a good head on her. She has the potential to be a nice filly."
Hudon engineered both of Toss It Back's Grassroots victories for trainer Pat Hunt of Cambridge and his partner Leo Fleming of Campbellville. Thursday's 1:58.3 clocking was a new personal best for the Majestic Son daughter, who was a $6,500 purchase at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale last fall. With two wins and one fourth in the first three Grassroots events, Toss It Back has tallied 108 points in the race for a post season berth.
Toss It Back
Hot on Toss It Back's heels are three fillies with 100 points, including Its All About Sam, one of two winners harnessed by Waterdown resident Scott McEneny on Thursday's Grassroots program.
Its All About Sam and driver James MacDonald took command of the sixth division heading for the halfway marker and never glanced back, cruising home two and one-half length winners in 1:58. Mariana, who also has 100 points from one win and two seconds in Grassroots competition, and Dewdle All Day, completed the top three.
"She's a big, strong filly. She was well within herself tonight, had tons left finishing," said Guelph resident MacDonald. "She definitely could step up a lot more; she has finished strong in every start."
MacDonald was also in the race bike for the Angus Hall daughter's July 7 Grassroots win at Georgian Downs, and for her runner-up effort against the Gold Series fillies at Mohawk last Thursday. Scott McEneny conditions the filly, a half-sister to $491,764 winner Strong Hope, for his wife Michelle McEneny and Brad Grant and Teresa Davidson of Milton. The partners acquired the filly for $10,000 from last year's Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Its All About Sam
McEneny's second winner came in the seventh Grassroots division when Sylvain Filion piloted I Want Kandy to a 1:59.3 score over Jangone and Favourite Mission. Although the Angus Hall miss cruised home a three and three-quarter length winner, Filion felt she was not at her very best.
"She won pretty easy, but she felt like she was a little weaker than usual. Even last week, I thought she was a little weak at the end of the mile. They thought she might have been a little sick and I think she's not quite over it yet," said Milton, ON resident Filion. "I'm sure next time you see her race, you'll see a different filly."
Filion piloted I Want Kandy to a fourth-place finish in the Gold Series at Mohawk last Thursday, after winning a two-year-old conditioned event at the Campbellville oval on July 16. I Want Kandy was a $13,000 purchase at Harrisburg for Michelle McEneny, Brad Grant and Teresa Davidson.
I Want Kandy
Also pursuing Toss It Back is Magical Steph, who clocked the quickest mile of the seven Grassroots divisions, halting the teletimer at 1:57.1. The Kadabra daughter and driver Steve Byron bested Major Muscle and Liseberg by four and three-quarter lengths.
Thursday's victory was Magical Steph's second straight in Grassroots action after she logged a fourth in the Gold Series season opener. Port Perry, ON resident Gary Lance conditions the full-sister to $436,478 winner Cold Certified for his partners in GL Racing Inc. of Port Perry, and offered up $50,000 for the filly at Harrisburg last fall.
Magical Steph
Malibu Seelster kicked off the Grassroots show with a 1:59 score for driver Trevor Henry of Arthur, ON and trainer Dan Creighton of Strathroy, ON. The Holiday Road lass bested Life Strikes and Tala Seelster by four and one-half lengths, stopping the clock at 1:59.
"She's very aggressive, we've just been trying to teach her," said Henry, who engineered the filly's first lifetime win for Rob Creighton of Strathroy and Frank Gentile of Beaconsfield, QC. "She can be a handful off the gate."
Malibu Seelster
Cadillac Sally captured the second division with a quick move off the gate that landed her in the pocket spot behind Norstar Seelster. When the pacesetter drifted off the rail in the stretch driver Doug McNair sent Cadillac Sally up the pylons and the Muscle Mass daughter trotted home to a one-quarter length victory in 2:00.
"She's getting better each start," noted Guelph resident McNair, who crafted the trip for his father, trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph, and owner Jarold Hawks of Jeddo, MI. "It helped tonight that she didn't draw in very tough. There are some nice Grassroots trotters around, that's for sure."
Cadillac Sally
The other Grassroots trophy went home with Jarette AS, who was an impressive four and three-quarter length winner in 1:58.2 for driver Billy Davis, trainer Anette Lorentzon and owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB of Paris, KY. The Striking Sahbra daughter bested The Muscle Touch and Shes In Gear.
Jarette AS
The two-year-old trotting fillies make their fourth Grassroots start at Georgian Downs on August 8.
Grassroots action continues at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday evening, with five $18,000 divisions for the three-year-old pacing colts.
Ontario Horse Racing