Machet Rocket Blasts Off At Georgian

Machet Rocket stepped off the quickest win in the first of eight $24,000 Grassroots divisions at Georgian Downs on Saturday night, pacing under the wire in a personal best 1:54.3

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Paul Mackenzie engineered the impressive mile for trainer Murray Brethour of Sunderland and his partners Noblock Racing Stable of Collingwood and Fred Brayford of Alliston. The Mach Three daughter sat on the outside for much of the mile before powering down the stretch to a two and one-quarter length victory over fan favourite Legal Entity and Lucky Amy.

The win was Machet Rocket’s second straight and her first in provincial stakes action.

Puslinch resident Mackenzie also guided Premier Indigo to a come-from-behind victory in the second last division. Another daughter of Mach Three, Premier Indigo reeled in pacesetter and fan favourite Twin B Elite to record the quarter length triumph in 1:56.4. Lyons Luck was three and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Jim Ainsworth trains Premier Indigo for owner-breeders Premier and Associates FA of Howell, MI. Through four starts the filly has posted two straight wins and one second for earnings of $15,750.

Battle of the Belles winner Your Beautiful and runner-up Eat Me Up both scored their second Grassroots victories on Saturday to move to the top of the division leader board.

With Tony Kerwood in the race bike, Eat Me Up reached the wire one length on top in the eighth race, pacing her way to a personal best 1:55.4. Almost Midnight and Lismaraslady battled into second and third.

Gord Remmen trains Eat Me Up for David Ratchford of North Sydney, NS, and the men have watched the talented daughter of Mach Three record five wins and one second in six starts thus far this season. In addition to Saturday’s victory Eat Me Up was a Grassroots winner at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 17 and captured her Battle of the Belles Elimination on July 25 before finishing second to Your Beautiful in the Aug. 1 final.

Your Beautiful scored her fourth victory with a 1:56.2 effort in the final Grassroots division. The Your Nemesis daughter and regular reinsman Stuart Sowerby cruised home one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Bruisers Sister and Da Ladys Secret.

Trainer Stephen and Marilyn Gillard of Tavistock bred and own Your Beautiful, who won her division in the Grassroots season opener at Hiawatha Horse Park on June 30, and then stepped up to the Gold Series, where she captured her elimination at Mohawk Racetrack on July 11 and finished fifth in the $130,000 Gold Final one week later. The filly finished second from Post 7 in her Battle of the Belles Elimination, then cruised to a commanding three and one-half length win in the $150,000 final.

The other Grassroots divisions were captured by Regal Attitude, who paced home in 1:55.2 for David Snowden of Bowmanville; Katys Jet, who cruised to a 1:55 score for Steve Calhoun of Chatham; Palm Patrol, who was a commanding 1:55.2 winner for Glenview Livestock of Wallenstein; and St Lads Morgan, who was also a 1:55.2 winner for Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge.

In addition to the on-track excitement generated by the two-year-old pacing fillies, Georgian Downs fans were also caught up in the excitement of the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s Win The Thrill contest. On Saturday night Ilie Blaj of Tottenham, Colleen Walker of Barrie, Jacqueline Pisapia of Markham, Denise Cook of Newmarket, Rosanne Travato of Innisfil, David McGowan of Mississauga, Linda Beazley of Barrie, and Barry Losignor of Toronto all qualified to participate in the Grand Prize draw on Grassroots Championship night at Mohawk Racetrack Oct. 1. The grand prize winner of the Win The Thrill contest receives a share in the 2011 Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association (SBOA) New Owner Mentoring program, which guides newcomers to harness racing through the process of purchasing, owning and hopefully cheering home an Ontario-sired yearling.

More information about the Win The Thrill program is available at www.ontariosiresstakes.com and details about the SBOA New Owner Mentoring Program are available at www.standardbredbreeders.com.

For results from Georgian Downs' Saturday card of harness racing, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.

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