Only one of the winners from the OSS' three-year-old pacing filly Grassroots opener will make her way to Clinton on Sunday, June 30, thus leaving the door wide open for newcomers like local entry Zip Car.
When the fillies kicked off their Grassroots season at Mohawk Racetrack in early June, Zip Car had just finished competing in the City of London Pacing Series, where she won her May 21 leg and finished second in the May 31 final. Since then, the filly has added another second-place result to her sophomore resume, for a total of one win and three seconds in four starts.
Trainer Heather Toll and Mark Beaven of Dungannon share ownership of Zip Car, and Cambridge resident Robert Shepherd will steer her from Post 8 in the ninth race on Sunday.
Mattys Big Day is the only June 3 winner who will compete at Clinton. She will battle from Post 3 in Race 8. The Sam Sergi trainee boasts a record of three wins and one second in five starts this season.
Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing fillies will open the Sunday, June 30 program at 1:30 p.m. and will also battle over the Clinton Raceway oval in Races 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
As part of its special Canada Day program, Clinton will rolls out the red carpet for no less than 57 three-year-old trotting colts on Canada Day, Monday, July 1.
The colts are heading to Clinton to compete in the second of six regular season Grassroots events, and Two Doors Down will be looking to earn his second straight Ontario Sires Stakes trophy. Two Doors Down and driver Chris Christoforou were confident winners in the June 10 season opener at Mohawk Racetrack, trotting to a one and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:58.2.
Christoforou will send Two Doors Down after his third win of the season from Post 2 in Race 6.
Trainer Gerard Demers and Christoforou will also team up with Grassroots hopefuls Krim Boughalem from Post 5 in Race 5 and Tag Up And Go from Post 8 in Race 9.
In addition to watching Ontario’s finest three-year-old trotting colts compete in eight Grassroots divisions, Clinton fans will also enjoy live music from Crimson Lace during and after the races, and can keep the party going by purchasing tickets for the post-racing fish fry.
Clinton’s special Canada Day program will begin at 1:30 p.m. with the first Grassroots division. The trotting colts will also compete in Races 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.
(With files from the OSS)