Sweetest Belle slays Twin Delight in Grassroots leg five

Sweetest Belle (Sportswriter) denied Twin Delight a perfect Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots campaign in the final preliminary leg of the harness racing series at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Sep. 8).

Sweetest Belle, driven by Doug McNair, traveled fifth as Twin Delight (Bob McClure), winner of all four starts in the Grassroots this year, cut a :26.3 first quarter. Grandeur Seelster (Austin Sorrie) then circled the latter to lead at the half in :55.4.

McNair gave Sweetest Belle marching orders on the backstretch, and the filly gained seven lengths to move into striking range at three-quarters in 1:24.4. She found little resistance from Grandeur Seelster, and Twin Delight had nothing extra from the pocket as Sweetest Belle stormed home to a two-and-three-quarter-length victory in 1:52.

Twin Delight finished second. Mystic Wild Rose (Phil Hudon) picked up ground late and completed the ticket.

SWEETEST BELLE REPLAY

Sweetest Belle is riding a good wave of form. The filly has won three straight, including a romp in the Grassroots last time out, and took a lifetime mark with tonight’s effort. She finished third in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold on Aug. 7 and has earned enough points for a berth in the Grassroots semi-final. The Susanne Kerwood-trained filly has won seven of her 19 lifetime outings and has earned $94,851 for Frank Brundle of East Garafraxa and Gordon Lyons of Georgetown.

One race prior, Century Jamila (Bettors Delight) went wire-to-wire in the second division and set up a tie for the points leader in the three-year-old pacing filly Grassroots division. She put up panels of :26.1, :57.1, and 1:25.4 for James MacDonald and proved best by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:53.1. Getting Euchred (Sylvain Filion) followed her from the pocket and finished second. Starlight Dancer (Jody Jamieson) closed for third.

CENTURY JAMILA REPLAY

Century Jamila, who debuted this year, has now won four of her five starts in the Grassroots with a place finish on Aug. 26. She and Twin Delight tied at the top of the division with 125 points, owing to the latter’s defeat in the third division. Century Jamila is six-for-17 overall this season with $97,380 in earnings. Shawn Steacy trains her for K and K Stable of Lansdowne, Landmark 15 Racing Stable of Lansdowne, A K Malik Stable of Ottawa, and David Reid of Sydenham.

Powder Play (Sportswriter) returned to the Grassroots level from the Prospect Series and captured the first division in a 12-1 upset. She claimed the lead in a :26.4 first quarter, let Elises Delight (MacDonald) take over in a second split completed in :54.4, and moved out again to pressure her to three-quarters in 1:24. Elises Delight broke stride coming down the stretch, handing the lead and the win to Powder Play. Uncontrolled (McNair) made a late bid but fell a half-length short in second. All Of Me (McClure) was third.

POWDER PLAY REPLAY

Powder Play has had an up-and-down three-year-old season. She finished sixth in her only prior Grassroots start and has hit the board in five of 11 starts. She raced well in two straight Prospect Series outings on Aug. 16 and Sep. 1 before stepping back up to Grassroots competition on Friday for owner Robert Woodburn. Her mile time was a new career mark. The Tony Beaton trainee has tallied four times in 18 career appearances and has earned $47,425.

The three-year-old pacing fillies will contest their Grassroots semi-finals on Sep. 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The $75,000 finals will be held on Sep. 30.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will cap off its raceweek on Saturday, Sep. 9 with a 13-race card worth more than $800,000. The program features 10 stakes races, including four divisions of the Champlain Stakes and three divisions of the Simcoe. First post is set for 7:10 p.m.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink