Lord Cromwell was favoured on the toteboard in Saturday's $143,737 Dexter Cup Final at Freehold Raceway and he delivered in spades with a dominant performance as sophomore trotting colts prepare for the 2017 Hambletonian.
With John Campbell at the controls, Lord Cromwell sat patiently in third while Sir John F (Yannick Gingras) and Southwind Cobra (Joe Bongiorno) changed hands on the lead through the :28.1 opener. Southwind Cobra maintained the front end as the field passed the :57.3 mark with virtually no movement from the backfield.
Campbell took his cue from that slow second panel and right-lined Lord Cromwell heading into the backstretch. He powered past the early pacesetter just after the 1:26.4 third quarter and never looked back from there. Down the stretch, Lord Cromwell opened up and won by more than five in a lifetime best 1:55.
“I knew they were going to trot out of there and he’s actually better from behind,” Campbell said. “Once I spoke to him at the five-eighths, he was gone. He actually finished well within himself. I was very happy with the trip. He was very handy. I think he’s got a pretty good future.”
Gustavo Fring (Eric Carlson) closed well for second with Southwind Cobra staying for third.
A homebred owned by New York's Carolyn Atheron, Lord Cromwell (Chapter Seven - Oh Oh Its Magic) is now two-for-two as a sophomore. Ed Hart handles the training.
“I loved the post position. A lot of it is post position on a half-mile track. We drew good and John drove him perfect and everything worked out," said Hart. “He’s got a big set of lungs. He just goes.”
The time of the mile also establishes a new track record for three-year-old trotting geldings, eclipsing the 1:55.4 mark set by Sam Spade in 2008.
Driver Yannick Gingras won both $36,850 divisions of the Lady Suffolk Stakes for three-year-old female trotters.
In the first division, Gingras guided Princess Aurora to victory by 4-3/4 lengths over Sparkle Plenty in 1:57. Royal Pinot finished third.
Princess Aurora, trained by Jimmy Takter, is owned by breeders Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. She is 2-for-2 this season and has won five of 13 career races, earning more than $335,000. Princess Aurora, who is eligible to the Hambletonian Oaks, is by Cantab Hall out of the stakes-winning mare Vulcanize.
In the second division, Romancing Rachel won by five lengths over Celebrity Ruth in 1:57.3. Southwind Prius was third.
Romancing Rachel is trained by Ron Burke, who owns the filly with Howard Taylor and the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi. It was her first win in four tries this year and second victory in 15 career starts. She has earned $59,655.
Also eligible to the Oaks, Romancing Rachel is by Muscle Hill out of the mare Tadys Comer and thus a half-sister to millionaire Hez Striking.
(with files from HRC)