Maidens broken in closing day Grassroots

Sister Twister (Prestidigitator) and Cunning Connie (Muscle Mass) earned their first career harness racing victories in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots third leg for rookie trotting fillies on closing day Monday (Aug. 1) at Dresden Raceway.

Sister Twister, parked out early from post six, forged ahead for Don Rankin to duel with leader Mass Envy (Jean Bernard Renaud) through the middle panels and gained control heading into the final turn. She then held off the rush of Sweet Carrie T (Mark Etsell) to take the win in 2:06.1. 

Sweet Carrie T was a half-length short in second. Over Yonder (Tyler Borth) finished third.

Sister Twister, a $16,000 Lexington Selected sale purchase for Jamie Copley of Kenmore, Michael Larkin of Orleans, and Francois Desaulniers of Gloucester, is now one-for-three lifetime. She was third in the Grassroots on debut and broke stride in her second start. Shayne Barrington trains the filly, who is now the first winner out of Muscle Mass mare Muscle Girl.

Cunning Connie (Travis Henry) sailed to an immediate lead in the second division and withstood the first over assault from Priceless Resolve (Resolve, Matthew Bax) until that rival went off stride at the half. Lucy Who (Wheeling N Dealin, Renaud) overwhelmed the leader with a backstretch brush and assumed command before she too galloped and slowed Enola (Resolve, Borth), who was racing first-over. Cunning Connie avoided the traffic to retake the lead and narrowly outlasted Enola’s re-rally for the victory in 2:04.2.

Enola had to settle for second. No Angel Like Me (Archangel, Sylvain Lacaille) was third.

Dominic Gladu trains Cunning Connie for The Stable’s Cunning Connie group. It was the filly’s first win in three starts; she was fifth in a Gold dash on debut and third in the Grassroots last out. The $21,000 Lexington Select sale buy is the first foal to race from her dam, Connie Jean (Cantab Hall).

The two-year-old trotting fillies will reconvene for the fourth Grassroots leg on Saturday, Aug. 14 at Kawartha Downs.

The card was Dresden Raceway’s last of the meet. It held a Black heritage race to acknowledge and commemorate the contributions of all Black industry participants to the development of the track.

According to Standardbred Canada, the handle of $93,410 was its highest at Dresden Raceway since at least the early 90s.

For complete Ontario Sires Stakes standings, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink