The Somebeachsomewhere mare Call Me Queen Be, a million-dollar winner in stakes company before the end of her three-year-old season, continues to be productive in her older form as the five-year-old snagged a 1:51.1 victory in the $30,000 Mares Open Pace on Sunday, Oct. 14 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Driver Eric Carlson put Call Me Queen Be on the lead early and got Lispatty in behind her before favoured Lakeisha Hall brushed past through the :26.3 quarter. Lakeisha Hall got a :56.1 breather to the half, but Lispatty soon came at the leader first-up and took a head advantage by three-quarters in 1:23.4. Call Me Queen Be sat perfectly-placed off the protracted duel and, in the stretch, surged by the front combatants to a two-and-a-quarter length victory.
Call Me Queen Be was the 2016 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace champion and this win, the fourth in her last six starts, may be a deciding factor for trainer Ross Croghan and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Mr. Dana Parham. Three-year-old and older performers have to declare on Tuesday, Oct. 16 for the 2018 Breeders Crown eliminations on Saturday at Pocono, a day after entries for two-year-olds and supplemental nominations are due. The $6,000,000 Breeders Crown Championship Night is Saturday, Oct. 27.
Another horse who may have punched his ticket for a Breeders Crown starting berth is Muscle Diamond, who in the $21,500 featured trot got the lead nearing the :27 quarter under George Napolitano Jr.’s handling, trotted 57.4 to the half and then threw :27.4 and :27.3 finishing quarters to complete a 1:53.1 package on the cool night.
Muscle Diamond is a six-year-old son of Muscle Hill trained by Brett Bittle and co-owned by him along with Dan Bittle and the Charles Kellers III and IV. He finished second in the Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Trot at the Meadowlands in 2014, beaten only a half-length by Pinkman, and then in 2015 at Woodbine he was only one-and-a-quarter lengths off stablemates The Bank and Pinkman in taking third. Muscle Diamond, who has won four of his last seven, took his mark of 1:50.1 earlier this year and he now has earnings of $745,199.
Driver George Napolitano Jr. had five winners on the Sunday Pocono card, adding to the three he posted last night. His brother Anthony, who captured seven races on Saturday, added another on the Sunday program.
(With files from the PHHA)