"I think anytime you have a filly that wants to go forward at all times, that’s a good thing."
Celebrity Eventsy has turned a good number of her races into memorable occasions and trainer Staffan Lind hopes the two-year-old female trotter continues to step out in style when she competes in the first of four International Stallion Stakes divisions Wednesday afternoon at The Red Mile in Lexington.
The International Stallion Stakes splits for two-year-old female trotters kick off a busy week at The Red Mile, which also hosts five International Stallion Stakes divisions for two-year-old male trotters on Thursday, International Stallion Stakes divisions for male and female two-year-old pacers on Friday, and a stakes-filled card on Saturday highlighted by the Kentucky Futurity for three-year-old male trotters.
Celebrity Eventsy is the 7-5 morning line favourite in her International Stallion Stakes division on Wednesday, with Brett Miller driving. A daughter of Manofmanymissions out of the mare Little Ms Queenie, Celebrity Eventsy has posted three wins and four second-place finishes in eight races. She heads to the International Stallion off a victory in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes last week at The Red Mile.
“She’s a tough filly,” Lind said. “She has a mind of her own, but she’s using it very well on the racetrack....She can go high speed and she can do it effortlessly. She has a great gait.”
Celebrity Eventsy is owned by Sam Stathis’ Celebrity Farms. Stathis bought the filly privately in January from Caviart Farms, which had purchased broodmare Little Ms Queenie in foal to Manofmanymissions for $10,000 at the 2012 Standardbred Horse Sale Mixed Sale.
The winner of $167,212 so far this season, Celebrity Eventsy has posted victories in three of her most recent four races. Her only setback during that span was a second-place finish to Caprice Hill in the Peaceful Way final on Sept. 19 at Mohawk Racetrack. Her only off-the-board finish this year came in the final of the Jim Doherty Memorial on Hambletonian Day, Aug. 8, at the Meadowlands. Celebrity Eventsy went off stride from post one at the start, which Lind attributed to being distracted by photographers at the rail.
“She looks at everything,” Lind said. “But other than that time, she’s never made a break ever.”
Following the International Stallion Stakes, Celebrity Eventsy will be pointed toward the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Eliminations for the two-year-old female trotters will be Oct. 16 and the final is Oct. 24.
“We’re going to take it one start at a time, but for right now that’s the plan,” Lind said.
The favourites in the three remaining International Stallion Stakes on Wednesday all hail from the stable of trainer Jimmy Takter. Haughty (Donato Hanover-Letsjustalkaboutme), a perfect 5-for-5 this year and half-sister to stakes-winner Aldebaran Eagle, is the 6-5 morning line choice in the second division; Sunset Glider (Cantab Hall-Highland Glider), the Kentucky Stallion Management winner, is 2-1 in the third division; and Kathy Parker (Andover Hall-Mallelujah), runner-up in the Doherty Memorial and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship, is the 9-5 pick in the fourth division.
Thursday’s International Stallion Stakes for the two-year-old male trotters is highlighted by the appearance of Southwind Frank (Muscle Hill-Flawless Lindy), who has won eight of nine races this season including the Peter Haughton Memorial and William Wellwood Memorial stakes.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.