Fresh off a victory in the Breeders Crown, favourite Economy Terror turned in a dazzling 1:50.3 World Record performance in the $380,000 Three Diamonds for two-year-old pacing fillies during the Fall Four stakes card at Harrah's Chester on Sunday afternoon
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Pirouette Hanover (Ron Pierce) fired to command off the gate and posted a :27-second opening quarter, but gave way to the pocket-pulling Economy Terror and driver Brian Sears as they moved in front of the grandstand for the first time.
Economy Terror raced to the half in :56.1 and 1:23.1 while second choice Handsoffmycookie (Tim Tetrick) was flushed first up from fourth. Handsoffmycookie made it within half a length of the leader, but Economy Terror drew clear down the stretch to prevail by one and a quarter lengths. Handsoffmycookie finished second and Pirouette Hanover was third.
The time of the mile lowered the World Record of 1:51.1, which Economy Terror formerly held with Fancy Filly.
The Western Terror-Mattatonic filly, who has won eight times in her career and has never finished worse than second in 11 starts, is trained by Chris Oakes for Pennsylvania owners Chuck Pompey, Howard Taylor, and Edwin Gold. Her earnings surged to $924,437. Some of her freshman highlights include winning the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship (the former World Record) and a division of the International Stallion Stakes, and finishing second in the Shes A Great Lady Stakes.
Two races earlier, Win Missy B romped to a 1:55.1 track and local stakes record in the $365,000 Goldsmith Maid for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Leaving from Post 3 in the eight-horse affair, elimination winner and 2-5 favourite Win Missy B and Sears established a two length lead on her foes and took the field past panels of :27.3, :57.4 and 1:26.1 en route to the two length tally. Superstar Hanover (Jimmy Takter) finished second off a pocket trip while Lady Andi (Yannick Gingras) came in third.
The Conway Hall-Winning Missbrenda filly is owned and bred by Pennsylvania's Robert Key. The Breeders Crown runner-up, trained by Charlie Norris, now boasts eight wins in 13 starts with $727,140 earned. Among her victories are the Peaceful Way Stakes, and divisions of the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes and International Stallion Stakes.
Harrah's Chester honoured champion trotting mare Buck I St Pat and her illustrious career during the 22nd Goldsmith Maid festivities. The two-time Breeders Crown champion and two-time Maxie Lee Memorial winner, who was retired in late October, led the post parade for the Goldsmith Maid and was recognized in the winner's circle in a ceremony following the race.
A Rocknroll Dance emerged from a pack of early leavers to take command and the Yannick Gingras-driven colt never relinquishd the lead en route to a 1:51 victory in the $510,000 Governor’s Cup for two-year-old male pacers.
When the wings of the gate folded, five horses fired off the gate in a fierce battle for the early lead. Speed Again (Jody Jamieson) and A Rocknroll Dance emerged from the pack around the first turn with A Rocknroll Dance clearing after the :26.3 first quarter.
Elimination winner and 3-5 favourite A Rocknroll Dance continued to lead the field past the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.3 with Escape The News (Brian Sears) pulling first over from fourth. However, A Rocknroll Dance was never seriously threatened by that rival as he cruised home for the one and a quarter length score. Speed Again came in second with Escape The News rounding out the top three finishers.
Trainer Jim Mulinix co-owns the Rocknroll Hanover-Wichita Hanover colt with Denny Miller of Ohio and New York's Jerry and Theresa Silva. The Metro Pace and Breeders Crown runner-up now boasts seven wins on his 11 race record including Bluegrass Series, International Stallion Stakes and Elevation victories, along with wins in his Metro and Breeders Crown eliminations. A Rocknroll Dance has banked $858,961 in 2011.
Possess The Will kicked off the Fall Four stakes earlier in the afternoon with a three and three-quarter length triumph in the $410,000 Valley Victory for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Driver Tim Tetrick sent Possess The Will to the top at the half and cruised to victory in 1:56 flat over his four foes in the non-wagering event.
Highland Yankee (Brian Sears) won an early three-way tussle for the lead with Vic Smith (Andy Miller) and No Frosting (Dave Miller) taking back into second and third while elimination winner Possess The Will was positioned fourth.
Highland Yankee reached the opening quarter in :28 while Vic Smith made a break in the pocket and Southwind Warsaw (Jody Jamieson) jumped it off from the back of the pack.
Tetrick then sent Possess The Will first up from third and the duo cleared at the :59.1 half-mile marker. He pulled ahead by two lengths as they approached three quarters in 1:27.2 and left the rest of the field chasing him to the wire. Highland Yankee followed for second and No Frosting finished third.
Jim Campbell trains the Donato Hanover-Aurora Hall colt for Pennsylvania's Fashion Farms. Possess The Will has now won seven of his 12 starts, including back-to-back wins in the Bluegrass Series, International Stallion Stakes and his Breeders Crown elimination prior to a runner-up performance in the finale. His lifetime earnings climbed to $551,577.
For Tetrick, the win was one of six on the 14-race card. It was also the first of two for Campbell and Fashion Farms as millionaire pacer Dial Or Nodial, driven by Dave Miller, went wire-to-wire to win the $60,000 Open Pace in 1:50.1.
All I can say is WOW!!!
All I can say is WOW!!! LOVE this filly!!!!