Saddled with seven consecutive losses, Cams Van Go snapped that streak decisively Wednesday at The Meadows with a front-end victory in a Keystone Classic division. Ginger And Fred captured the other split
in the $83,800 event for Pennsylvania-bred three-year-old pacing fillies.
Cams Van Go raced from off the pace, with limited success, in such marquee events as the Jugette and the Quinton Patterson Adioo Volo. On Wednesday, Tony Hall gunned the daughter of Real Artist-Cams Valentine to the lead, where she held off the late charge of 2009 Pennsylvania Sires Stake Champion Billie Bluechip, defeating that rival by a nose in 1:52.3. Racing Star finished third.
“She had been really aggressive racing off the pace, so tonight I figured I’d take a shot with her,” Hall said. “She was extra aggressive tonight, so I thought either the front or the two-hole would be good. I thought that other horse might get by, but in the last 50 feet, she had another surge to her.”
Marty Wollam trains Cams Van Go for the partnership of Chris Arold, Ken Kohut and Mike Drury.
In a sharp prep for the Breeders Crown, Ginger And Fred had little trouble disposing of her field, hustling to the front past the quarter and drawing off to win for Dave Palone in 1:53.1. Blogette Hanover was 3-1/2 lengths back in second, with Surveille Hanover third.
“She was coming back from two heats in the Jugette, so I didn’t know how she would respond,” Palone said. “She was right on her toes, very sharp. I thought she was much the best, so I would have been disappointed if she hadn’t performed well. She was well within herself — :27.4 for the last quarter, and we did all the pacing from the head of the stretch home.”
Ron Burke trains Ginger And Fred, a daughter of Real Artist-Graceful Motion who now has banked $637,776 in her career, for Howard Taylor, Robert Feldman, Edwin Gold and Jerry Silva.
Elsewhere on the card, Eric Ledford drove the 4,000th winner of his career when he guided Classical Man to victory in the sixth race.
Hall, who enjoyed a four-bagger on the 16-race card, set a track record by piloting Anotherama A to a 1:09.4 win in a 5/8-mile dash.
(The Meadows)