As if having this year’s Breeders Crown champion and last week’s American National winner Yellow Diamond in Friday’s $100,000 Cinderella Stakes at Maywood Park isn’t enough, trainer Tracy Brainard is looking to double her chances of taking home a big payday by also entering Shacked Up into the event for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Uncoupled in the wagering, the ultra-impressive fillies and have drawn post positions three and one, respectively.
Fresh off her convincing five and three-quarter-length romp in the $185,000 American National for driver Tim Tetrick last week, Yellow Diamond has been accorded the 7-5 morning line favouritism. The daughter of Western Terror has been nothing short of sensational, racking up a record of 13-3-4 in 21 starts with earnings of $1,314,803 in this her first season of racing.
“She loves the front-end and she couldn’t be more of a sweetheart of a filly to drive,” commented Tetrick after the American National victory. “She’s been up against the best in the country all season long and she hasn’t missed a beat.”
Brainard, who is enjoying the finest season of her training career with more than 230 victories and $9.4 million in purse money already to her credit, had nothing but praise as well for Yellow Diamond.
“She was unraced at two and was probably the least respected of the fillies we have in our barn coming into this year,” she said. “For her to step right in and do the things she has and to stay this sharp and this tough for the entire year has been very exciting and rewarding for us.”
While Yellow Diamond was taking home the top honours in Crete last Saturday night, her stablemate Shacked Up was wreaking havoc north of the border in her $300,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack.
Despite missing three weeks due to an illness the Western Terror filly made it look easy for Luc Ouellette as she cruised to a one and three-quarter-length front-stepping score in 1:51.3. The victory was the eighth in 17 starts this season for Shacked Up who boasts $851,187 in earnings during her sophomore campaign.
Although she’s quite smitten with all of the fantastic fillies in her barn, Brainard is not shy about her feelings for Shacked Up.
“She’s one of my favourite fillies,” Brainard admitted. “She’s not a real big filly; she’s just real, real tough. I really like her because she has a lot of spunk to her.”
(Maywood)