After having won her opening-heat elimination courtesy of a first-over trip, the Indiana-bred Colors A Virgin came right back with a similar game plan in the $178,862 Jugette final on Wednesday, September 17 at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio.

Owned and bred by Ohio’s Emerald Highlands Farm, Colors A Virgin, who is by Indiana-based sire Always A Virgin, captured the Jugette final in 1:52.4 for trainer Brian Brown and driver Trace Tetrick.

Beautiful Lady (driven by Matt Kakaley), who had won her opening-heat elim, finished second, while Beach Story (Brett Miller) finished third.

Colors A Virgin started from Post 1 in the Jugette final and Tetrick opted to take a conservative approach in the early going. The duo sat mid-pack through the opening half of the race, which saw Allstar Rating (Yannick Gingras) cut the fractions in :27 and :55.4.

Making a move against the leader in the third quarter, Beautiful Lady poked a head in front at the 1:24.2 three-quarters pole. All the while, Tetrick and Colors A Virgin were making a second-over move from mid-pack. Tetrick stepped on the gas pedal in the final panel and he and Colors A Virgin cruised home for the victory.

“She was a bit crooked behind the gate,” said Tetrick, “so we had to play catch-up after that, but it worked out well.”

After his filly’s opening-heat elim, Brown, a resident of Delaware, Ohio, had mentioned that his charge liked racing on the outside. Colors A Virgin’s efforts in the 2014 Jugette proved that, in spades.

“She has just been this type of mare since Day 1,” Brown said after the final. “She just keeps coming and doesn’t give in. Today the front end hasn’t been as good, so it worked out well for us.”

Emerald Highlands Farm’s Bruce Trogdon, who is a resident of Powell, Ohio, was visibly thrilled with Colors A Virgin’s victory.

“I’ve been coming here for 39 years,” he said, “and I never dreamed that some day I would raise, and keep, and have the winner of the Jugette – nothing compares to this.”

JUGETTE ELIMINATIONS

Indiana-bred Colors A Virgin captured the first elimination of the JUGETTE after converting a sustained first-over trip and nailing the wire in 1:51.3 for trainer Brian Brown and driver Trace Tetrick.

The daughter of Always A Virgin started from Post 3 and came calling after Lady Shadow (Doug McNair) cut the opening fractions in :26.3 and :55.2. Colors A Virgin refused to go away on the outside, as she continued to pressure Lady Shadow into the stretch.

Colors A Virgin, who recorded her 12th career win in the process, paced clear in the late going and stopped the timer in 1:51.3. Southwind Silence (Matt Kakaley) and Also Encouraging (David Miller) finished second and third, respectively, and advanced to the second heat of the Jugette.

Commenting on his filly’s performance, Brown said that Colors A Virgin is no stranger to overland journeys. “That’s her trip,” he said. “I would’ve been more shocked if she cut it out. Trace knows her best, and that’s how he drives her every week.”

It was 'Gallie Bya Head' in the second $39,746 JUGETTE elimination as John Campbell engineered a 14-1 upset with Gallie Bythe Beach.

The early part of the race was all Allstar Rating, as Yannick Gingras aimed her right for the front as the second choice in wagering and was down to the pylons by the opening turn. The first quarter was reached in :26.3 with Uffizi Hanover (David Miller) in the pocket and favoured Beach Gal (Tim Tetrick) in fourth.

Before hitting the homestretch for the first time, Tetrick had Beach Gal out from the rail and into the outer flow. As the field zipped by the half in :54.3, Allstar Rating looked comfortable on the front with Beach Gal stalking from first over and Uffizi Hanover gapping in the pocket. On Beach gal's helmet was Fits Well (Scott Zeron) and Gallie Bythe Beach was situated in what appeared to be a difficult third over position.

The third station was tripped in 1:22.4, with Allstar Rating still on the front and Beach Gal able to duck back into the pylons around the far turn. That left Fits Well first up and signaled the moment for driver John Campbell to tip Gallie Bythe Beach three wide for a the stretch. As Allstar Rating pulled away from Beach Gal, Gallie Bythe Beach was loaded with pace and unfurled a vicious late kick to pick off the pacesetter by a head in 1:52.2. Somethinincredible (Ron Pierce) used ground-saving tactics, finding room along the rail to nab third and punch a ticket into the second heat.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to run down Yannick," Campbell said after the win. "He had about three lengths on me but this filly raced good off the pace last week at Chester and really kept going to the wire, and she did the same thing again today."

Campbell thought his filly was better than the 14-1 odds placed on her by the betting public but even he thought his chance of winning with Gallie Bythe Beach wasn't great.

"Obviously when you draw the six it's not that ideal here and there was lots of early speed. Realistically I was just hoping to get a decent enough trip that we'd get to come back in the final and maybe get lucky in there but the way the race worked out, she charged home very strong. We have a chance to go again and be a factor."

A Fashion Farms homebred, Gallie Bythe Beach is trained by Jim Campbell, and puts herself into position to win one stakes event that eluded her dam, the great Galleria, who finished second in the race in 1999.

The Ron Burke-trained and Matt Kakaley-driven Beautiful Lady captured the third JUGETTE elimination in 1:52.2.after a break on the final turn changed the complexion of the race.

Beautiful Lady, a daughter of Rocknroll Hanover, worked out a two-hole trip and sat in the garden spot as Sandbetweenurtoes (Brett Miller) cut the fractions in :26.2, :55 and 1:23.1. It was early in the third quarter when Gettingreadytoroll (Yannick Gingras) came calling from third, but he made an overland break after putting a head in front. The break caused some of the backfield to scatter, and it also allowed Kakaley and Beautiful Lady to seize the moment.

Kakaley pulled his filly out of the two-hole and the pair propelled to the front. They went on to stop the clock in a lifetime-best mile of 1:52.2. Beach Story (David Miller) finished second and Candys A Virgin (Trace Tetrick) finished third.

“I let Brett go,” said Kakaley, speaking of driver Brett Miller and Sandbetweenurtoes, “and if Yannick doesn’t make a break it would probably have been a different outcome.”

The field for the second heat of the Jugette appears below.

1. Colors A Virgin (Tr. Tetrick)
2. Beautiful Lady (M. Kakaley)
3. Gallie Bythe Beach (J. Campbell)
4. Southwind Silence (R. Pierce)
5. Beach Story (Br. Miller)
6. Allstar Rating (Y. Gingras)
7. Also Encouraging (D. Miller)
8. Candys A Virgin (SCRATCHED)
9. Beach Gal (Ti. Tetrick)

THE BUCKETTE

Three-year-old trotting filly Lifetime Pursuit romped in the $89,475 BUCKETTE (Race 12), as the Cantab Hall lass scooted to a national-season’s-mark performance in 1:53.4. She had started from Post 7 and earned the lead just prior to the :28.2 opening quarter. It was all Lifetime Pursuit from there, as the bay diced the middle fractions in :56.4 and 1:25.1 before firing home in :28.3. The filly has now won 14 of her 24 career starts. Gingras didn’t mince words when asked about the mile afterward, stating, “It was definitely a walk in the park today.” Bikini So Teeny (Charlie Norris) finished second and Yoga (Brett Miller) finished third.

THE STANDARDBRED

The STANDARDBRED for two-year-old trotting fillies kicked off in Race 8, and it was the Norm Parker-trained and Ron Pierce-driven Sweet Shurga that captured the $32,323 split in 2:00 after going off at odds of 17-1. The Donato Hanover filly came with a rush in the final quarter and swooped in to best Smokinmombo (Aaron Merriman), who finished second. Dancewithme Chuck (Charlie Norris) finished third. The win time went down as a new life’s mark for Sweet Shurga, who recorded her second career win in the process.

It was world record time in the second $32,323 division of the Standardbred (Race 10), as the Jimmy Takter-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Wild Honey became the fastest two-year-old trotter on a half-mile track in the history of harness racing courtesy of her 1:55.2 triumph. The previous filly record was 1:56.3, which had been recorded by CR Kay Suzie in 1994. Dontyouforgetit had previously held the overall record, as he had trotted a 1:55.3 mile in 2012. Wild Honey, by Cantab Hall, started from the rail and blazed the fractions (:28.4, :57.3, 1:25.4) before scooting home in the record mile. Hot Start (David Miller) finished second and Gee Okeeffe (Aaron Merriman) finished third.

OHIO BREEDERS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Race 4 on the program was the first division of the OHIO BREEDERS CHAMPIONSHIPS, and the Bud High-owned and trained Count Full Mac closed hard and bested the field of three-year-old trotting colts in a 1:58 mile. Driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Count Full Mac, a Full Count gelding, tipped three wide in the third quarter and powered past the leaders for a sharp score in the $30,667 split. Master Mighty (Kayne Kauffman) finished second and Cantcutthatchip (Jason Brewer) was third.

In Race 6, three-year-old Rompaway Wally gelding Rompaway Galaxy captured his $30,667 OBC split in 1:56.2 after being sent off as the heavy 1-5 favourite. The Krista Harmon trainee was much the best after leaving from Post 3, as the 13-time winner went gate to wire in the mile for driver Mike Micallef. Soul Train (Ryan Stahl) finished second, while Bradymeister (Kurt Sugg) finished third.

OBC action continued in Race 13, and two-year-old pacing colt Ollie Pop captured his $32,317 split in 1:56.4 for trainer Ron Potter and driver Aaron Merriman. The Feelin Friskie colt fired from Post 7 and worked out a two-hole trip through the fractions (:28.3, :58.4, 1:27). He jetted out of the garden spot in the final quarter and got up to defeat the pacesetting Gray Camo (Chris Page), who finished second. Roaddog Jess James (Josh Sutton) finished third.

Three-year-old trotting filly Autumn Estelle captured her $30,067 OBC division (Race 14) in a lifetime best 2:00 when she converted a pocket trip for trainer/driver Hugh Beatty. The daughter of Cayenne Turbo sat third through the opening quarter (:28.4), but was on the move past the :58.1 half-mile pole. She wore down the pacesetting Dellou (Ron Pierce) after the 1:28.4 third quarter before fending off Sandys Victory (Josh Sutton) in the final strides. Sandys Victory finished second, while Dellou hung on for third.

Three-year-old trotting filly Rose Run Princess captured her $30,067 OBC division (Race 18) after prevailing in a photo finish. The win time was a lifetime best (1:58.1), and driver David Miller got the job done for his daughter, Devan, who performs the training duties. Turbochargedroxie (Dan Noble) finished second and Majesty Dream (Kayne Kauffman) was third.

Two-year-old pacing gelding Rock N Randall captured his $32,317 OBC division (Race 19) in a life’s best 1:58.1 for trainer Brian Brown and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. The Dave Panlone bay fired out from Post 2 and wasn’t headed in the mile after having cut the fractions in :27.3, :56.4 and 1:26.4. Rock N Randall returned $5.00 to win. Danger Storm and Dyno Mite Man finished second and third, respectively.