Driver Todd McCarthy hustled R Melina forward, refused to relinquish the lead despite swift fractions and successfully bottomed the well on her peers to claim the 59th edition of the $407,500 Kentucky Filly Futurity in a 1:50.1 mile on Sunday, Oct. 6 at The Red Mile. The race was sponsored by Crawford Farms.
Trained by John Butenschoen, R Melina came within two-fifths of a second of the world record for three-year-old trotting fillies.
R Melina built speed off the wings and protected an outside lane in a five-filly skirmish through the first turn. Miss I La (Joe Bongiorno) got to the lead but R Melina swooped forward and took over control after a :26.4 first quarter with Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt) tracking her move before getting caught uncovered on the rim.
Warrawee Michelle pressed forward up the backside while R Melina held her ground to the cones to keep her rival parked through a half clocked in :53.2, at which point Warrawee Michelle hit the ropes and began a retreat.
Buy A Round (Andy McCarthy) swung three-wide from third-over with favourite Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn) catching her tow to get around her tiring cover while R Melina stayed on the muscle through the final turn.
By three-quarters in 1:22, R Melina engaged with Buy A Round into the stretch and turned away her rival with ease. Date Night Hanover also levelled off from her parked mile, leaving Miss I La the closest but non-threatening pursuer in second.
R Melina stayed straight and strong through the heat of battle to clench victory in a lifetime-best 1:50.1, finishing three lengths better than Miss I La. Sambuca Hanover (David Miller) emerged from a ground-saving trip for third and Buy A Round faded to fourth with Date Night Hanover rounding out the top five.
“Today came down to draw,” said Todd McCarthy after the victory. “I thought we had a good post and if I could get her out of there and keep her handy enough early… I kind of didn’t have a game plan going into it, I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. When it shook out, I had a look down the back there and there was a bit of a line behind Ake [Svanstedt], and I figured at that point it was best to hold up and take our chances on [the] front. It’s a credit to Johnny [Butenschoen] – he’s just had this filly spot on all season. We had a couple of unlucky posts with her, but today everything worked out."
“We got to the front in the Hambo Oaks, in the Elegantimage and we got roughed up. She didn’t really get roughed up getting there today,” noted Butenschoen. “She got some fast fractions, but Toddy kept her alive and she’s just a tough, gritty little thing. I mean, she just tries.”
R Melina earned her eighth win from 14 starts this season and her 15th victory from 26 starts in her career, good for $1.24 million for owners M And L of Delaware of Wilmington, Delaware and Alabama Harness Associate of Vestavia Hills, Alabama. A filly by Chapter Seven out of Goodtogo Hanover, she was bred by Marsh Valley Standardbred of Middlefield, Ohio.
Sent off as the 5-1 fourth choice in the 11-horse field, R Melina paid $12 to win.
In the $33,784 Kentucky Filly Futurity Consolation, Spy Coast circled to the lead after the quarter and rolled home a 3-1/4-length winner as the 9-5 favourite to clock a 1:50.3 mile in rein to Yannick Gingras. Ron Burke trains the Walner-Zeppole filly for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Phillip Collura and Elizabeth Jones. She paid $5.96 to win.
(With files from The Red Mile)