Courtly Choice Charges In 'Pace'

Sitting second over off a fast pace, Canadian-based and co-owned Courtly Choice edged wide into the stretch and surged past long shot and first-over challenger Dorsoduro Hanover to win the $701,830 Meadowlands Pace in 1:47.1.

Dorsoduro Hanover shot for the front along with Hayden Hanover, American History and Jimmy Freight moving to the first turn. Hayden Hanover eventually cleared command from Jimmy Freight while American History advanced first over past the quarter in :26.

American History set the pace moving to the half and paced unchallenged in :53 as Dorsoduro Hanover flushed first over, supplying cover to 6-5 favourite Courtly Choice heading to three-quarters. Dorsoduro Hanover took a narrow lead while American History retreated to the inside and initiated a sprint into the stretch following three-quarters in 1:20.3.

Tipping off cover, Courtly Choice lunged after Dorsoduro Hanover, who held sway towards the inside. Stay Hungry, from third over, rallied through the center of the course into third while Jimmy Freight split rivals to take fourth heading to the wire. Courtly Choice edged past Dorsoduro Hanover in the final strides to claim victory.

“The couple of horses I thought would left [did] and I was able to get Matt [Kakaley on Dorsoduro Hanover] in front of me,” driver David Miller said after the race. “[Kakaley] actually took me into the homestretch. I pulled the plugs on my horse and asked him—halfway through the stretch, I thought he was going to hang on.”

Courtly Choice, winning his sixth race in eight starts this season and his eighth in 20 overall, surpassed $500,000 in earnings with his ‘Pace’ win. Blake MacIntosh of Cambridge, Ont. trains the Art Major colt who supplemented into the event for owners Hutt Racing Stable of Paoli, Penn., Mac & Heim Stables (MacIntosh and Steve Heimbecker of Conestogo, Ont.), Daniel Plouffe of Bromont, Que. and Touch Stone Farms (Barb & Joe Intine) of Guelph, Ont. David Miller, winning his first Pace, drove the $4.40 winner.

“I texted Mr. Plouffe Monday morning [before the eliminations] let’s [supplement to the Pace] and, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have asked the other owners,” MacIntosh said. “He was game and he wanted to do it.

“I believed in the horse and he just had some bad luck earlier in the year.”

The Meadowlands Pace headlined the Saturday stakes card at the Meadowlands, with recaps of the other highlighted events available on the 2018 Meadowlands Pace News Centre.