While world records seem to be making headlines frequently, a good portion of them are matched or dropped by a fifth of a second or two. One mile that shattered an existing world record came just a fifth of a second of equalling the fastest race mile ever.
And it was done by a three-year-old filly.
Setting records is nothing new for Joe Holloway. After all, he trained one of harness racing's best pacers in Jennas Beach Boy. His 1:47.3 race record stood for nearly 20 years, not broken until Primetime Bobcat's 1:47.2 mile at Woodbine in 2006. Now Holloway has another record under his belt that may not be touched for quite some time.
On Saturday, three-year-old pacing filly Shebestingin did what divisional rival I Luv The Nitelife hasn't done, and not what any colt in the sophomore pacing division has been able to accomplish: pace a mile in 1:47 -- shattering the record for her division by more than one full second.
That mile puts the three-year-old Bettors Delight filly in rare company: not only is she the fastest female pacer ever, she came within one-fifth of a second of joining Somebeachsomewhere, Holborn Hanover and Warrawee Needy as the fastest standardbred ever in a race.
Holloway told Trot Insider that the conditions were right for a record-setting performance in Lexington after closing from far back the week before to win in 1:49.
"We felt that with a bit different trip, she could race in :48....but to pace in :47, the track was just excellent at that time," said Holloway, who felt she had a shot at the record once the race was locked up but was surprised by the time that flashed up on the teletimer.
"That was a great thing to see."
The former record, set last year by American Jewel, was 1:48.2. In Shebestingin's mile, both second-place Scandalous Hanover and third-place Authorize paced faster than 1:48.
After being sidelined early in her two-year-old career by a stress fracture, Shebestingin has rebounded with the form that made her three-for-three to start her career. She was the early favourite to win the 2012 Sweetheart at The Meadowlands and has since been overshadowed by dominant divisional diva I Luv The Nitelife. This comes despite equalling another world record earlier this year when Shebestingin paced Tioga Downs in 1:49 on August 11. One week later, I Luv The Nitelife paced Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:48.4.
Holloway feels his filly can beat I Luv The Nitelife, who hasn't lost since June of this year in just her second start of the year. And with the Breeders Crown upcoming this weekend, there's nothing he'd like better than to prove his opinion at Pocono. Shebestingin trained "very good" on Monday morning and will be dropped in the box for the Breeders Crown eliminations this weekend.
"[I Luv The Nitelife] been a very, very tough filly so you can't take anything away from her," said Holloway, who has finished behind I Luv The Nitelife four times this year but has yet to best her. "Would I like to? Of course. To me, she's a lot like Captaintreacherous. It always looks like she's getting beat ...you think you have her, and then, no you don't. But I would like to beat her and I'd rather beat her in the Final than the elimination," said Holloway with a laugh.
The box closes on Tuesday, October 8, at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) at Pocono for all 12 divisions of eligible horses. Three-year-olds do also have the option of entering the sophomore event to which they were nominated or an Open event.
Holloway trains Shebestingin (Bettors Delight-Armbro Tussle) for Val Dor Farms, Ted Gewertz and L And L Devisser LLC. The record-setting win Saturday was the ninth win of the season and the 12th lifetime tally for the career winner of $480,240. Plans are to race her in a few more engagements after the Breeders Crown and to bring her back to the races at age four.