On Wednesday, September 18 at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio, three-year-old pacing filly I Luv The Nitelife set a two-heat world record of 3:42.2 when she won the 2013 Jugette by capturing the $154,650 second heat in 1:51.2.

I Luv The Nitelife, a daughter of Rocknroll Hanover trained by Chris Ryder and driven by Tim Tetrick, was much the best in the second heat (Race 16 on the card). The filly won the second heat in almost identical fashion as she did the first heat.

After having won the open-heat elimination in 1:51, the connections of I Luv The Nitelife opted to start from the coveted rail spot (Post 1 ) in the second heat. Using the pole position to his advantage, Tetrick fired I Luv The Nitelife out from the inside starting spot and the rest was history.

Tetrick and I Luv The Nitelife cut the fractions in :28, :56.1 and 1:23. They sealed the deal by closing in :28.2 and winning by open lengths. Carols Desire (Matt Kakaley) finished second followed by Jerseylicious (Corey Callahan) in third and UF Dragons Queen (Ron Pierce) in fourth. Brian Sears came first up with Social Scene near the half-mile marker, but did not finish in the top three.

The former two-heat world record of 3:43 was held by Western Graduate, who turned the feat in the 2007 edition of the Jugette.

Afterward, when asked whether I Liv The Nitelife is the best horse that he has ever had, co-owner Richard Young said, “I don’t know. That’s a very tough question, as you know, but she has certainly shown that she is special.”

“She’s a good horse. She allows me to do whatever I want,” Tetrick said in the winner’s circle. “She’s tough as nails and she puts out good efforts every time.”

Ryder gave nothing but praise to I Luv The Nitelife during the trackside interview with announcer Roger Huston. “You call me the trainer, but I’m telling you, she trains us,” said Ryder.

After her opening-heat win, Ryder commented on the fact that I Luv The Nitelife will not be competing this fall at Lexington, Kentucky at the Red Mile meet.

“She’s got to get over this and be really on her toes for the Breeders Crown,” said Ryder. “Obviously, that is her main objective, apart from today.”

I Luv The Nitelife Wins $103,100 First Heat Of The Jugette (Race 12)

I Luv The Nitelife just missed equalling the world record for three-year-old pacing fillies on a half-mile track when she captured the opening heat of the Jugette on Wednesday, September 18 at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio.

I Luv The Nitelife, a bay daughter of Rocknroll Hanover, was large and in charge in the first heat (Race 12 on card). Driver Tim Tetrick left hard off the gate with the Chris Ryder trainee, and she seemed more than willing to speed along on the engine.

I Luv The Nitelife cleared to the lead before cutting the opening quarter in :26.2. She didn’t relent from the there, as she reported to the opening half-mile station in :54.3 and proceeded to spin off the three-quarters timer in 1:22.2. The field tried its best to get to I Luv The Nitelife, but the bay wasn’t going to give up the lead in the late-going, as she kicked home with a :27.3 final panel.

The win time was 1:51, which is a North American season’s record for a three-year-old pacing filly over a half-mile track. The clocking was also just two-fifths of a second off the world record (1:50.3), set at the Delaware County Fair last year by Shelliscape.

Jerseylicious (Corey Callahan) finished second and UF Dragons Queen (Ron Pierce) was third. It was announced before the first heat that world record co-holder Shebestingin had been scratched from the Jugette due to sickness.

“She was fine. She worked a little bit in the first turn, but after that she was perfect,” Tetrick said of I Luv The Nitelife after the first heat. “Good horses overcome a lot of things (racing on a half-mile track), and she’s a good horse.”

Tetrick went on to state that he wanted to race his filly like she was the best, and I Luv The Nitelife was on the same page. “I set really good fractions… she did all the work,” Tetrick said. “Going into the race, I thought she was the best and I raced her that way. (I wanted to) keep her out of trouble with the two trailers – you never know what can happen. I just took control from the start.”

Commenting on the speed I Luv The Nitelife had to go in order to win, Tetrick said he wasn’t worried. “She likes to roll,” he said. “It doesn’t bother her too much. Would I have liked to have been (down to the opening half) in 56 (seconds)? Yeah, and let her pace home after that, but it didn’t work that way. I had to start her up to get her through the first turn and she rattled from there.”

When asked if I Luv The Nitelife did it comfortably, Tetrick said, “Oh yeah, she’ll go all day.”

The second heat of the Jugette has been carded as the final dash on the 16-race program.

1. (pp 4) Social Scene
2. (pp 2) Jerseylicious
3. (pp 1) I Luv The Nitelife
4. (pp 3) Uf Dragons Queen
5. (pp 6) Carols Desire
6. (pp 9) Macharoundtheclock
7. Shebestingin (SCRATCHED before heat 1)
8. Belle Boyd (SCRATCHED)
9. Novascotia Hanover (SCRATCHED)
10. (pp 5) Parlee Beach

Frau Blucher Lowers World Record In Second Buckette Division

Silver Credit had lowered the national season’s record during the first Buckette division, but Broadway Hall filly Frau Blucher didn’t want to be outdone on Jugette Day Wednesday at Ohio’s Delaware County Fair.

With driver Ron Pierce in tow for trainer Chris Oakes, Frau Blucher was a monster on the front end in the $52,194 second division of the Buckette (Race 14). The bay shot out from Post 2 and led the field through the opening quarter in :27.4 and past the opening half in :56.4.

Those in attendance started smelling a world record performance when Frau Blucher marched past the three quarters in 1:24.1, but it was in the final quarter where the filly really showed the crowd a thing or two.

With Yannick Gingras occupying a tight two-hole aboard Coffeecake Hanover, Pierce asked Frau Blucher for trot, and trot she did. Firing home with a 29-second final panel, Frau Blucher opened up lengths on Coffeecake Hanover and went on to stop the clock in 1:53.1.

The 1:53.1 clocking is a world record for the class over a half-mile track. Bluff had previously held the mark of 1:54, which was recorded last year over the speedy oval. Even more impressive is that the 1:53.1 clocking is the fastest race mile ever recorded on a half-mile track – the previous record of 1:53.2 was co-held by Mystical Sunshine (2007) and Autumn Escapade (2010).

Silver Credit Captures First Buckette Division In North American Season’s Record 1:54

Muscles Yankee filly Silver Credit, driven by Corey Callahan and trained by Randy Beeckman, was much the best in the first $52,194 division of the Buckette for three-year-old trotting fillies (Race 10), as the grey filly went to the front early and didn’t look back during an open-length romp in 1:54.

After having started from the rail, Callahan sent the grey filly to the lead and proceeded to cut the fractions in :27, :55.2 and 1:24. The race featured multiple breakers in the opening half-mile, which allowed the Millers Stable-owned Silver Credit to have it her own way.

Silver Credit closed with a 30-second final panel to lower the North American season’s mark (three-year-old trotting filly on a half-mile track) to 1:54.

UF Tadys Donato (Brian Sears) finished second and Andie Sophia held on for third.

The win was Silver Credit’s third in a row.

JUGETTE DAY UNDERCARD

Race 1 saw two-year-old Jailhouse Jesse filly Miss Walco ($3.40) hang on for a neck victory in 2:01 for driver Tyler Smith and trainer Bruce Walls in a $7,600 division of the Delaware Open Series… six-year-old Artsplace gelding Vintage Art ($4.60) recorded a one-length victory in :54.2 for driver Corey Callahan and trainer Jamie Coffy during a $2,500 half-mile pace (Race 2) which featured a field of six… in Race 3, the Tyler Smith-driven and Steve Boroff-trained Broadway Phantom ($2.20) won a $6,900 division of the Delaware Open Series in 2:00.1, defeating the two other combatants in the field… Singlenrdytomingle ($2.60) was strong from the rail in Race 4 for driver David Miller and trainer Jay Hock, as the four-year-old Like A Prayer mare went wire to wire and won by more than eight lengths in 1:56.4… David Miller also found victory from the rail in Race 5, as he steered the Virgil Morgan Jr.-trained Catalina Kid ($4.80) to a head victory in 1:54.1… driver John Campbell closed hard with the two-year-old trotting filly Simply Class ($18.20) in Race 6, a $46,744 division of The Standardbred, and got up to win by a neck in 1:59… Wish It Right Now ($22.40) triumphed from Post 9 in Race 7, as the Chris Page-driven and Timothy Case-trained Western Terror mare stopped the clock in 1:55.1… Contessa Leigh ($2.20) found the winner’s circle after Race 8, a $41,626 division of the Ohio Breeders Championships, as the three-year-old Full Count filly was under the wire first in 1:57.2 for driver Chip Noble and trainer Marty Wollam… Kennairnmachmagic ($18.60) was an upsetter in Race 9, as the six-year-old Mach Three gelding got the job done in 1:54.2 for driver Chris Page and trainer Todd Luther… Race 11 saw three-year-old Victory Sam gelding Final Breath ($2.60) trot to his sixth consecutive victory, as the bay nailed the wire in 1:58.1 for trainer/driver Hugh ‘Sandy’ Beatty in a division of the Ohio Breeders Championships... Hello Carlo ($4.00) parlayed a Post 1 start into a 1:59.4 victory for driver Tony Hall and trainer Larry Clabaugh in Race 13... two-year-old gelding Dibs ($28.80) was the man in Race 15, a $42,176 division of the Ohio Breeders Championships, as he held on for a tight 1:56.4 victory for driver Tony Hall and trainer Ron Burke.