Capistrano made it back-to-back Grassroots victories with an impressive effort in the first $23,150 division. The Warrawee Needy daughter and driver Phil Hudon controlled the tempo from Post 1, rolling through fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.1, but appeared to be bested in the stretch before clawing their way back to a head victory in 1:53.4. Challenger Landry Seelster settled for second and Look N Fabulous finished third.
“Capistrano clearly has no quit in her. From Day 1, being a smaller filly, everyone cheered for her in the barn,” said TheStable.ca founder and president Anthony MacDonald of Guelph. “Her popularity has only grown with the addition of Doug Gilmour to the ownership and her hard fought victory tonight.”
NHL Hall of Famer Gilmour joined TheStable Capistrano Group after the filly won her division of the July 9 Grassroots season opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a commanding effort from Post 9. Phil Hudon drove Capistrano for the first time in her debut and has clearly hit it off with the filly, who is trained for TheStable.ca by Harry Poulton of Milton, ON.
Wiggle Delight won the fifth division with a 1:54 effort over fan favourite Got Power and No Where To Hide. It was the Bettors Delight daughter’s first lifetime win after starting her career with a seventh-place result in the July 8 Gold Series opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Acton, ON resident Mario Baillargeon trains and drives Wiggle Delight for TheStable.ca clients Panic Stable LLC of Itasca, IL.
“Wiggle Delight found some class relief to her liking tonight,” noted MacDonald. “Mario and James (MacDonald) have always thought very highly of her and she certainly looked good tonight.”
The other Grassroots winners were Sportswriter fillies Coqui Coqui and Preeminence who both stopped the clock at 1:54.2, Sunshine Beach daughter Sunshine Hall in 1:55.1 and Shadow Play filly Scotians Shadow in 1:54.4. The two-year-old pacing fillies will make their third Grassroots start at Hanover Raceway on August 24.
Woodbine Mohawk Park fans will be treated to a second round of two-year-old pacing filly action on Friday, July 19 as the Campbellville oval hosts a pair of $106,400 Gold Series divisions. Friday’s program gets under way at 7:50 p.m. and the fillies will be featured in Races 3 and 8.