Hiddenbrooke’s best Grassroots results have come on half-mile ovals and Gaetan Hebert is hoping the three-year-old pacing filly can deliver another solid effort when the provincial program stops at Flamboro Downs on Sunday.
“She’s pretty good on a smaller track,” says the Waterdown resident. “That’s where she’s made her money is on the small tracks.”
Hiddenbrooke captured her division in the June 9 season opener on the Hanover Raceway half-mile and finished second when the Grassroots program stopped at Grand River Raceway on July 27. In her other two Grassroots starts the daughter of Shark Gesture-Ayla finished third, at Rideau Carleton Raceway on June 17, and seventh, at Kawartha Downs on Aug. 16.
The filly makes her bid for a share of the $24,000 Grassroots purse from Post 5 in Sunday’s sixth race, and Hebert is hoping she can garner a few more points to maintain her top 16 spot in the division standings. The top 16 point earners at the conclusion of the six event regular season advance to the Sept. 19 Semifinals at Grand River Raceway.
“We’ll see what happens on Sunday. I hope she gets top three and gets more points,” says the owner-trainer. “We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope she keeps plugging away. There’s some good ones in there.”
Among the fillies that Hiddenbrooke and driver Billy Davis, Jr. will face are former Gold Series competitor Legal Entity from Post 1 and top 10 ranked fillies Sauble Claire from Post 3 and Taras Jet from Post 8.
Hebert points out that while Hiddenbrooke believes she can rocket off the gate and wire the field, her speed is best used in a more tactical fashion.
“She can out leave anybody. She thinks she can go a first quarter in 26 or 27 seconds, but she can’t,” says the horseman with a chuckle. “But if she comes first up or second up, she has a wicked brush when you want her to go.”
Hebert purchased Hiddenbrooke from the 2010 Forest City Sale for $5,500 and started her three times as a two-year-old, twice in the summer and once at the end of December. Hiddenbrooke has raced consistently since that time, posting four wins, three seconds, four thirds and earnings of $48,981 in 22 sophomore starts.
The filly heads into Sunday’s test off an Aug. 24 start over the Flamboro Downs oval that saw her finish eighth. Hebert piloted the filly himself and was pleased with her effort, noting that she was boxed in through the mile and finished strong.
Hiddenbrooke and her peers kick off the Grassroots portion of Flamboro Downs’ Sunday evening program in Race 6, with the other five battles going postward in Races 7 through 11.
Race 9 features a showdown between division point leaders Machleen and Phoenix Seelster, undefeated Machet Rocket, and last year’s Grassroots champion Eat Me Up. Phoenix Seelster will start from Post 2, Machleen and Machet Rocket line up beside each other at Post 4 and 5, and Eat Me Up gets Post 7.
The first race on Flamboro Downs’ Sunday program is 6 p.m.
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To view entries for Sunday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Sunday Entries – Flamboro Downs.