Cindy Michelle, trained and driven by John Stark Jr., became the only two-leg winner in the Jim Derue Memorial Trot Series on Monday afternoon (Oct. 18) at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The E L Titan sophomore filly, who scored in the $50,000 New York Sire Stakes Excelsior final last month, recorded her 11th win of the season on Monday when she went coast-to-coast to prevail in leg two of the Derue Memorial in 1:58.2. The only winner of both legs will head into next Monday’s (Oct. 25) final as the one to beat after recording another decisive victory. Cindy Michelle is owned by Peter Barbato of Demarest, New Jersey and Sam Bova Racing LLC of Irving, New York.
Larry Stalbaum’s Creemore avenged a leg one break when on Monday the three-year-old Chapter Seven gelding recorded a win in 1:58.3 to likely sure-up a spot in next week’s final. Creemore’s victory was his first in five starts since coming to Saratoga last month.
The fastest of the leg two winners on the matinee card was Pass Key, who is owned, trained and driven by Jordan Derue, the son of the late Jim Derue for which the trotting series is named. Pass Key, who made a break in leg one, was confidently piloted by Derue as he quarter-moved in the early going and never looked back, stopping the timer in 1:57.4. The three-year-old Cantab Hall gelding likely secure his spot in the $30,000+ final, which will take place next week.
Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga and will feature a carryover of $3,025 in the Pick Five pool. The Pick Five begins in the matinee’s first race, which is scheduled for noon.
(With files from Saratoga)