Altar rebounded from a break against older competition at The Red Mile last time out with a trouncing of her sophomore trotting rivals in the first 2021 Breeders Crown elimination for three-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday (Oct. 23) at The Meadowlands.
As Amazone Duharas (James MacDonald) cut over to the lead fastest of all, driver Yannick Gingras had no intention of taking a hole that appeared in third. Altar pressed on through a :27.1 opening quarter, landed on the lead at around the three-eighths mark and it was lights out from there. A :55.4 half was followed by a 1:23.2 third station, and she poured it on at the head of the lane. Iteration (Brian Sears) slipped out to close with late trot but Altar was home free and hit the wire nearly five lengths to the good in 1:51.2 to punch her ticket to next week's Breeders Crown $650,000 Final. Also advancing are Iteration, Splash Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt), Anoka Hanover (Todd McCarthy) and Amazone Duharas.
Altar (Muscle Hill - Swan Hot Mama) is trained by Nancy Takter for Diamond Creek Racing. Owner Adam Bowden indicated that the filly's development in the Kentucky Commonwealth series was by design.
"Nancy believed in her and thought that was the best spot for her," said Bowden. "Just gained some confidence, and it ended up working out good for us."
Altar picked up her sixth sophomore win and eighth lifetime, lifting her bankroll to $222,706.
Showing why she's the top-ranked filly in her division, Bella Bellini overcame a less-than-ideal trip to rally and land a favourable post draw in the 2021 Breeders Crown final for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Bella Bellini got a covered-up trip, but that cover didn't take her where she wanted to go and thus she had to do some of that work herself. Sitting on the back of Donna Soprano (Bob McClure) approaching the third quarter, driver Dexter Dunn had to tip the favourite into the three-path around that final turn to take aim on leader You Ato Dream (Jeff Gregory) and pocket-popper Herculisa (Brett Miller). With a target in front of her, Bella Bellini track down those rivals to win by more than a length in 1:52.4 over Herculisa. Longshot Chablis (Yannick Gingras), You Ato Dream and Shirley Goodness (David Miller) also advance.
"I was a little worried that Donna Soprano didn't look like she was handling the turns very good there and it was scary for a minute," noted breeder and owner David McDuffee in the winner's circle. "Hopefully we can carry that forward for next week."
Trained by Richard 'Nifty' Norman, Bella Bellini picked up her ninth career victory and bumped her earnings to $718,198 lifetime.
"It was a little bit like the Hambletonian Oaks today; enough cover to let her sprint home," said Norman.
Here's the draw for the 2021 $650,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old trotting fillies.
1. Amazone Duharas
2. Shirley Goodness
3. Bella Bellini
4. Chablis
5. Altar
6. Anoka Hanover
7. Splash Blue Chip
8. Iteration
9. You Ato Dream
10. Herculisa
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