Rookie trotting fillies continue Grassroots action

Two-year-old filly trotters visited Kawartha Downs for the fourth harness racing round of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots on Saturday (Aug. 14).

Sweet Carrie T (Muscle Mass) commenced proceedings with a bang – a six-and-three-quarter-length victory in the first division. She stopped the timer in 2:02.1. Divinne Magic (Samuel Fillion) got up for second over Mass Envy (Jean Bernard Renaud).

It was Sweet Carrie T’s first career win in five tries. She has earned $24,754 for owners Etsell Newton, Graham Hopkins, Peter Porter, and Lindsey Turner. Mark Etsell trains the filly.

Lucy Who (Wheeling N Dealin, Renaud) was a half-length the best over No Angel Like Me (Sylvain Lacaille) in the second split with a 2:00.4 clocking. Stonebridge Icing (Fillion) finished third.

Lucy Who was a Grassroots winner on debut and is now two-for-four lifetime, bringing in $27,100 worth of purses. Murray Bradshaw has entrusted trainer Julie Walker with his homebred filly.

Enola (Resolve, Tyler Borth) showed tenacity in overcoming a rough trip to take the final division. She was timed in 2:04 as she passed Cunning Connie (Nick Boyd) late for the victory. Sant Ambroggio (Daniel Obrian) circled all but two to finish third.

Lucy Who now leads the two-year-old trotting filly division with 101 points. The next leg for the youngsters is set for Sep. 6 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Also on the card, Chris Rogers trained his first winner since 2002 with Music Box Noise (Artspeak) in the fourth race. Carman Hie steered the three-year-old filly to a last-to-first, maiden-breaking victory in 1:59.3.

Rogers, who made a limited number of starts as a trainer and driver from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, returned to a training role in 2020 after spending time working with The Stable. He sent out one starter that year, followed by nine in 2021, and has made a total of 15 starts this year. He has also sat in the sulky 23 times this year and is searching for his first victory at the lines since 2002.

His only other training win was more than 20 years ago at Kawartha. Anthony Macdonald steered Lucky Tree to an eight-and-a-quarter-length victory on Jun. 22, 2002 for Rogers.

For complete Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots standings, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink