Caviart Ally was sharp at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio on Wednesday (September 20), as the sophomore daughter of Bettors Delight emerged on top in the 2017 Jugette for three-year-old fillies, the sister event to the prestigious Little Brown Jug.

Caviart Ally began her journey to Jugette glory in her $54,650 opening-heat elimination, where she posted a gate-to-wire win in an impressive 1:52. She then drew Post 2 for the $163,950 second-heat final, where she went on to race a two-hole trip and eventually power by the pacesetting Blazin Britches to post a 1:51.3 victory.

The Trace Tetrick-driven Blazin Britches had won her $54,650 opening-heat elimination in 1:52.1 before drawing Post 1 for the final.

Caviart Ally’s driver, Andrew McCarthy, had ideas for the early lead in the final – a sentiment he expressed after the final was all said and done. He explained that his plans quickly changed once he realized that Tetrick and Blazin Britches were not going to ease off from their tactical inside starting spot.

“I didn’t have any shot of getting around him (Tetrick, aboard Blazin Britches),” McCarthy said, in retrospect.

McCarthy’s quick decision to opt for cover and take a trip would prove to pay off in spades. Caviart Ally was given a great vantage point to watch Tetrick and ‘Britches’ cut the quarter in :27.3 and flash the half in :55.4.

Caviart Ally was ready to yank up her sleeves and do some dirty work in the third panel. McCarthy tipped his charge for battle just before Blazin Britches spun off three quarters in 1:23.3.

Caviart Ally loomed large and fresh off of her trip, and she then put on a bit of a show herself.

Caviart Ally, pictured victorious in the 2017 Jugette final (Conrad Photo)

The pride of Vienna, Virginia’s Caviart Farms was slick through the stretch and looked every part a winner. Caviart Ally came home strong and nailed the wire in 1:51.3, much to the delight of McCarthy and her trainer, Noel Daley.

During a post-race interview, Daley echoed McCarthy’s sentiments that the plan was to leave for the point and dictate the race – a plan which didn’t materialize, but, ultimately, didn’t matter.

“She’s (Caviart Ally) got as much speed as them (the top fillies in her class),” Daley said, “but up until now she hadn’t had as much bottom as the rest of them.”

Blazin Britches held on for second.

Canadian connections did make an appearance in the top three, as Obvious Blue Chip paced a ground-saving trip and got up for third. Obvious Blue Chip is owned in part by Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ontario and is trained by horseman Mark Steacy, who calls Landsdowne, Ontario home. Obvious Blue Chip’s driver, Scott Zeron, who is one of the top younger reinsmen on the planet, is a native of Oakville, Ontario.

Daley confirmed that Caviart Ally will make the trek to Lexington, Kentucky on Thursday (September 21).

JUGETTE OPENING-HEAT ELIMINATIONS

The Brian Brown-trained and Trace Tetrick-driven Blazin Britches ($2.10) captured her $54,650 opening-heat elimination of the Jugette for three-year-old pacing fillies in 1:52.1. The heavily-favoured Rock N Roll Heaven bay started from Post 3, cut all the fractions (:28.1, :57, 1:24.4), and paced home confidently for the win.

The Mark Steacy-trained Obvious Blue Chip (driven by Scott Zeron) started from Post 4, raced first-over as the field headed for home, and finished second. Terrortina (Tony Hall) started from Post 5, raced fourth through the mile, and came on to finish third. The Post 1 starter, Rockin Serena (Peter Wrenn) raced a two-hole trip through the festivities and held on for fourth. The top-four finishers gained entrance to the $163,950 second heat, which is the final contest (Race 19) on the day’s program.

During a post-race interview, Tetrick said that he had “plenty of mare left” in the lane, but it was his job to get Blazin Britches to “pay attention” in the lane.

Brown, an Ohio native that knows the Delaware fairgrounds so well, admitted during a post-race interview that he was nervous heading into the tilt.

Bettors Delight bay Caviart Ally ($5.20) was very strong in victory during her $54,650 opening-heat elimination of the Jugette for three-year-old pacing fillies, as the Noel Daley-trained and Andrew McCarthy-driven lass powered to a dominant victory in 1:52.

Caviart Ally started from Post 1, made the front, cut all the fractions (:27.1, :56.3, 1:23.4) and finished off strong. She hit the wire in 1:52 and looked very imposing.

“She actually got a little bumpy on me coming out of that third turn, and I had to let her go a little bit more,” victorious driver Andrew McCarthy said during the post-race interview.

Tequila Monday (David Miller) finished second, while Idyllic Beach finished third. Ella Christina finished fourth. The top four finishers advanced to the to the $163,950 second heat, which is the final contest (Race 19) on the day’s program.

The post position draw for the Jugette’s $163,950 second-heat final took place after the first-heat elims concluded. The post positions for the second-heat final appear below.

$163,950 Jugette Second-Heat Final
PP – Horse – Driver/Trainer
1 – Blazin Britches – Trace Tetrick/Brian Brown
2 – Caviart Ally – Andrew McCarthy/Noel Daley
3 – Obvious Blue Chip – Scott Zeron/Mark Steacy
4 – Tequila Monday – Brett Miller/Chris Oakes
5 – Terrortina – Tony Hall/Norm Parker
6 – Idyllic Beach – Yannick Gingras/Jimmy Takter
7 – Ella Christina – Tim Tetrick/Nick Surick
8 – Rockin Serena – Peter Wrenn/Melanie Wrenn

BUCKETTE

The $80,575 Buckette (Race 17) for three-year-old trotting fillies was the main feature during the undercard, and it was the Noel Daley-trained and Andrew McCarthy-driven Cool Cates ($4.00) that was a convincing gate-to-wire winner in 1:56.

McCarthy and the Yankee Glide bay started from Post 2, went to the front, diced the fractions (:27.2, :57.3, 1:26.4), and cruised home with a :29.1 final quarter for the solid win.

Post 4 starter Satin Dancer (Ron Wrenn Jr.) took a two-hole trip through the mile and finished second. Maewegonow (Charlie Norris) raced first-up from the backfield, challenged in the back half of the mile, and finished third when all was said and done.

Cool Cates has now won five of her 12 seasonal starts for owner All Laid Out Stable Inc. of Yardley, PA.

OHIO BREEDERS CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISIONS

The first of the Ohio Breeders Championship divisions kicked off in Race 3, and it was the Ron Steck-trained and Dan Noble-driven A TC Queenie ($4.40) that won the $12,900 OBC Aged Trot in 1:54.3. The short four-horse contest quickly turned into a two-horse tilt, as there was a pair of early breakers. A TC Queenie is a four-year-old bay Triumphant Caviar mare.

The first $56,700 OBC division for two-year-old trotting fillies was carded as Race 8, and it was the Crist Hershberger-trained and David Miller-driven Risky Deal ($9.20) that upended the odds-on Looking For Zelda and posted a half-length win in a life’s best 1:57. Miller started from the rail with Risky Deal, and the duo sat the pocket through the fractions (Looking For Zelda had left hard from the outer Post 8 and had cut the speed). The win was the first of the day for Miller, AKA ‘The Buckeye,’ who is the fair’s winningest driver. Risky Deal is a bay by Break The Bank K.

The OBC splits for two-year-old pacing fillies got underway in Race 9, as a field of seven faced the gate in search of the lion’s share of the $43,333 purse. The punters called the outcome of the race, as the 7-5 post-time choice, Pearl Crush ($4.80) came from off the pace to record a win in a lifetime-best 1:55.3. The Yankee Cruiser bay is trained by Ron Potter and was given a solid drive by Ryan Stahl. After having started from Post 2, Pearl Crush sat mid-pack through the fractions, but Stahl called on her late in the third quarter and ended up coming three-wide with her before the call. Stahl and his charge propelled forward on the outside and were fresh at the wire.

Two-year-old trotting fillies returned to the track for Race 10, as the second $56,700 split for the division faced the gate. Manofmanymissions bay To Russia ($14.20) raced back to her lifetime mark with a 1:58.2 win for trainer Scott Cox and driver Ryan Stahl, who notched his second win of the afternoon. After having left well from Post 4, Stahl engineered a two-hole trip for To Russia, as the favoured Red Storm (Aaron Merriman) wanted the lead from Post 2. Red Storm cut the fractions and provided a solid tow for To Russia, who came wide after the three-quarters call and went on to win. There was a nervous moment in the stretch, though, as To Russia seemed to flatten out a bit during the final sixteenth, but Stahl got a bit more out of the filly, who put forth a brief late surge to seal the deal.

Baron Remy ($14.60) proved to be the best in Race 11, which was the second $43,333 OBC division for two-year-old pacing fillies. The daughter of Yankee Cruiser had started from Post 5 and raced in the backfield for the first half of the mile. Bad Girls Rule (Dan Noble), who was cruising on the lead, began to back through the field in the third quarter, which changed the complexion of the race. With Chris Page at the helm, Baron Remy found herself first-over and full of pace heading for home, and she sustained her attack all the way to the wire. Baron Remy went on to nail the wire in 1:54.4, which was a mark-equalling performance. Baron Remy hails from the powerful Ron Burke stable. The win was Page's second of the day and his tenth of the fair meet.

Three-year-old trotting colts and geldings faced the gate in Race 12, which was the first $47,167 split for the division. The Chris Beaver-trained and Aaron Merriman-driven Buckeye Boss ($3.00) was a convincing odds-on winner in the tilt, as the son of Triumphant Caviar grabbed the lead just before the opening quarter and went down the road from there. The win time for the Post 1 starter was 1:55.3, and the performance was one of the most convincing victories of the day at that point in the card. Merriman – who had high praise for the colt during a post-race interview – recorded his 23rd career Delaware County Fair victory with the win.

Triumphant Caviar bay Fraser Ridge ($2.60) was a dominant 1-5 winner in Race 16, which was a $47,167 OBC division for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. The Chris Beaver trainee smoked to a 1:55 win on the engine for driver Ron Wrenn Jr. The win time equalled the United States’ national season’s record for three-year-old trotting colts over a half-mile track.

After having put in some rough steps early, Prsntpretynperfect ($4.60) opted for a pocket trip, which she ultimately converted into a 1:54.3 win in Race 18, a $43,333 OBC split for two-year-old pacing fillies. The effort proved more impressive after the filly went under the wire, as the clocking proved to be a stakes record for the division. Driver Kayne Kauffman had left from Post 7 and wanted the lead early, but that is when the brown daughter of Big Bad John started to get rough. With an opening right there to her left, Prsntpretynperfect tucked for cover and sat the garden spot as Princess Rougarou cut the speed. Prsntpretynperfect came out late and ended up being a convincing winner.

OHIO FAIR RACING CONFERENCE DIVISIONS

The Brian Brown-trained and Chris Page-driven Goingtocalifornia ($59.60) kicked off the day’s Ohio Fair Racing Conference action with a 28-1 upset in Race 4. The Pet Rock bay won the first $3,325 division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings after a Post 8 start. The gelding came three-wide from the backfield before the three-quarters pole and powered off to a convincing victory.

Carmensdaleyapple ($2.80) continued the OFRC action in Race 5, as the Mr Apples gelding extended his career unbeaten streak to 16 courtesy of a sharp, 1:54 victory in Race 5, which was a $3,325 division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The Joe Paver-trained and Pierce Henry-driven bay started from the rail, got away second, and looped to the lead early in the second quarter. He stayed on the engine the rest of the way and got the job done. Paver discussed his charge leading into the Jugette. To read Paver’s take on Carmensdaleyapple, click here.

The third $3,325 OFRC division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings headed to post for Race 7, and it was Pacin To Paydaze ($12.40) who got the job done for trainer Mark Winters and driver Brett Miller in a life’s best 1:55.1. Miller and the World Of Rocknroll colt spurned their Post 8 start and blasted off the wings. They had a big early lead and cut the rest of the speed. Dont Ask Logan and driver Ron Wrenn Jr. made a late bid for the wire. Dont Ask Logan ended up getting very rough gaited just past the wire. Dont Ask Logan then ended up falling to the track, but Wrenn held onto the lines, which helped avert further problems for Dont Ask Logan and the rest of the field. No horses or drivers sustained injuries from the fall.

Ohio Fair Racing Conference action began once again in Race 13, as the fourth $3,325 split for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings took to the track. In one of the more thrilling dashes on the card, Pet Rock colt Rockin M ($8.60) found a late seam along the pylons and propelled in the lane for a timely score in 1:57.2 for driver Brett Miller and trainer Mark Winters Sr. The mile was of the mark-lowering variety for the bay. Rockin M had started from Post 6 and left hard. It looked as though he was going to assume control by the quarter, but was quickly covered up and ended up taking a ground-saving trip throughout the mile. Multiple horses had legitimate shots in the lane, and it looked like the winner would come from the outside, but it was Rockin M whom emerged along the inside to grab all the marbles.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE UNDERCARD

Five-year-old Neely Dunn gelding Cooter Dunn ($7.00) kicked the day off with a wire-to-wire, 1:56.1 win in Race 1, which was a $3,000 conditioned trot. Kayne Kauffman was aboard for trainer Renee Bauslaugh.

Simply Awesome ($4.20) was just that in Race 2, as the three-year-old Shadyshark Hanover filly was a determined front-end winner in the $2,250 conditioned event. After a brief early tussle for the lead, the Post 1 starter made the front, cut the rest of the speed, and went on to stop the clock in a career best 1:54.2 for trainer Brian Brown and driver Trace Tetrick.

The Joe Putnam-trained and Josh Sutton-driven Tienes Leche ($3.60) captured Race 6, which was a $2,250 conditioned event, in 1:54 after having faced a ton of pressure on the lead. The eight-year-old Gunthatwonthewest mare had the winner’s circle in mind and refused to give up the front, as she fended off challengers for the majority of the mile.