Many of the sport’s finest rookies surfaced at Harrah’s Chester on Sunday afternoon, as the oval hosted the eliminations and a prep for this year’s Fall Four championships
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Trotting fillies scrapped in the Goldsmith Maid, trotting colts and geldings sparred in the Valley Victory and pacing colts and geldings went head-to-head in the Governor’s Cup eliminations. Pacing fillies battled in a prep for the Three Diamonds.
Here’s a recap of what transpired this afternoon:
Goldsmith Maid Eliminations
Win Missy B was parked to the quarter-pole in :29.4 in her $20,000 affair, but she eventually motored to the lead and didn’t look back once she got there for driver Brian Sears. She chopped out middle fractions of 1:00.1 and 1:28.1 before using a :28-second closing panel to win by a comfortable margin over Aunt Mel. Third prize went to Cant Have My Moni.
The homebred daughter of Conway Hall-Winning Missbrenda, who hangs her harness in the barn of trainer Charlie Norris, is owned by Bob Key of Leechburg, PA. The victory improved the rookie’s record to 7-3-0 in 12 tries and the lion’s share of the purse boosted her earnings to $544,640.
Superstar Hanover rallied to win in a career-best clocking of 1:56.1 in the first of the $20,000 eliminations for trainer/driver Jimmy Takter. The daughter of Cantab Hall-Star Hanover watched American Lassie and race favourite Lady Andi take turns on the lead through panels of :28.2 and :58.3 before going on the attack. Takter had Superstar Hanover pressing Lady Andi to the three-quarter pole in 1:27.2 before overtaking that foe and drawing clear for the win. Lady Andi held for the runner-up award, while American Lassie tagged along to grab the show dough.
The victory improved Superstar Hanover’s record to 3-2-0 in eight starts, and the payday boosted her earnings to $73,955. The $75,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale is owned by Christina Takter of East Windsor, NJ along with John Fielding of Toronto and Louie Camara of Puslinch, ON.
Valley Victory Eliminations
It was a walk in the park for Possess The Will, who motored away from four rivals in his $20,000 tilt. Tim Tetrick treated the Donato Hanover-Aurora Hall colt to a ground-saving journey behind Quit Smoking Now, who led through intervals of :28.4, :58 and 1:26.4 before making a break in stride. Southwind Warsaw, who was prompting the tempo setter, enjoyed a brief lead before being overtaken by the hard-charging Possess The Will. The Breeders Crown runner-up roared away in the late stages of the mile en route to stopping the clock in 1:55.3. Southwind Warsaw was second and Quit Smoking Now was third.
Jim Campbell trains the six-time winner for Fashion Farms LLC of New Hope, PA. The $135,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale has managed to bank more than $346,000 to date.
Four youngster lined up for the first $20,000 elimination, and Highland Yankee pulled off a 10-1 upset for driver Brian Sears. The son of Muscles Yankee-All Night Hall enjoyed a pocket trip behind No Frosting, who supplied the field with fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:27.2. Sears tipped his ticket to victory lane out of the leader’s draft at the head of the lane before sprinting to the top and halting the teletimer in 1:56.1. No Frosting was second best, while Power Play finished a distant third.
Bruce Saunders trains the colt for owner Frank Bellino of Bronxville, NY. The freshman has manufactured a 2-0-3 record from 10 trips to the track this season, and he’s stashed away $34,477 along the way. He was a $45,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Governor’s Cup Eliminations
After missing the board in back-to-back starts, Speed Again stepped up his game by trouncing the foes he faced in his $20,000 elimination. Jody Jamieson and Speed Again sat the pocket behind Ontheclock Hanover, who put up the :26.2 opener, before rushing to the top as the field raced in front of the grandstand. Once in charge of the tempo, Speed Again tore through fractions of :55.1 and 1:23.1 en route to the 1:51.4 triumph. Bettors Edge rallied to grab the bridesmaid award behind the 1-5 favourite, while third prize was earned by Ontheclock Hanover.
Erv Miller trains the son of Dragon Again-Sand Speed during his stay stateside for partners Jeff Gillis, Mac Nichol, Ken Henwood and Gerald Stay. It was the colt’s sixth win of the season in 11 tries, and his share of the elimination loot lifted his lifetime cash stash to $369,921
The betting public made Escape The News the even-money favourite in his $20,000 assignment, and the son of Artiscape-Ideal News didn’t disappoint his backers. Brian Sears got away third with the gelding and studied Mortal Zin, who threw down an opening quarter clocked in :27.2. Sears rushed to the top in front of the grandstand with Escape The News, who successfully chopped out middle splits of :56.2 and 1:23.4 before using a :27.4 closing split to seal the deal in 1:51.3. Mortal Zin held for the second-place prize, with Dynamic Youth rounding out the top three finishers.
Joe Holloway conditions the homebred, who now boasts a 4-1-0 record from 10 starts, for Brittany Farms of Versailles, KY and Val Dor Farms of Millstone, NJ. The juvenile will head into next week’s final looking to add to his $171,037 bankroll.
A Rocknroll Dance went coast-to-coast in his $20,000 elimination for the tandem of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jim Mulinix. The hulking son of Rocknroll Hanover-Wichita Hanover ripped through panels of :27, :56.4 and 1:24.1 before using a :27.1 closing quarter to win in 1:51.2 over Hillbilly Hanover and Mybrothergeorge.
It was the sixth win of the season in 10 tries for the career winner of $603,961, who is owned by Mulinix and partners Denny Miller of Archbold, OH and Jerry and Theresa Silva of Long Beach, NY.
Three Diamonds Prep
Handsoffmycookie turned in a decisive victory as the 1-5 favourite in a $20,000 prep for next weekend’s $475,000 Three Diamonds. Tim Tetrick sat just off the pace with the daughter of Art Major-Observe Me, who watched Shelliscape stroll through splits of :27 and :57.1. Tetrick went into attack mode with Handsoffmycookie in the backstretch, and the filly had no problem clearing to the lead. She hit the three-quarter pole in 1:25.1 and used a :28-second final frame to deliver the knock out punch. Shelliscape was the best of the rest, with third prize going to Robin Cruiser.
Scott Di Domenico, who trains the nine-time winner for JFE Enterprise LLC of Elmsford, NY, has watched her stash away $480,651 to date. She was a $25,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Handsoffmycookie will join Economy Terror, Pirouette Hanover, Shelliscape, Lightning Paige, Major Look, Robin Cruiser and Rockaround Sue in the $475,000 final on November 13.