The four Matron Stakes finals for two-year-olds held Thursday (November 8) were bookended by victories featuring one of harness racing's most lethal combinations: trainer Jimmy Takter and driver Yannick Gingras.
Before the pari-mutuel card, the $158,000 Matron for two-year-old colt trotters was contested as a non-betting event with Canadian-connected Super Schissel an impressive winner for the biggest stakes victory of his rookie campaign.
Driver Yannick Gingras pocketed up Super Schissel behind Lindys Crazy Hall (David Miller) through tepid fractions of :28.2 and :58.1 before right-lining around the five-eighths mark. After challenging the leader through a 1:27.2 third panel. Super Schissel cleared to the front around the final turn and confidently powered away to a four-length score in 1:56. Holiday Hangover (Tim Tetrick) closed well for second, holding off Union Forces (Scott Zeron).
Bred by Vancouver, B.C.-based Coyote Wynd Farms and owned by Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont. along with Pennsylvania's Perry Soderberg, Super Schissel (Uncle Peter - Bavarde) now sports four wins and eight top-three finishes in 12 seasonal starts. Jimmy Takter trains Super Schissel, whose bankroll expands to $236,160 with the win.
When Dovescry was sent off as the 1-5 choice in the $177,800 Matron for two-year-old filly trotters and she delivered on that support with a well-earned victory.
Unhurried early, driver Simon Allard settled the favourite into fourth as Starita (David Miller) fronted the field to the :27.4 first quarter before Sonnet Grace (Yannick Gingras) swooped from third to first in front of the grandstand. Allard right-lined When Dovescry from fourth just as the :57 half-mile time flashed up.
Sonnet Grace and Gingras had no intentions of allowing the favourite unfettered access to the front end and parked that foe through the 1:25.4 third station and around the final turn. In the final strides, When Dovescry powered past the tempo setter tripped the timer in 1:54.4. Sonnet Grace stayed for second with Jezzys Legacy (Ray Schnittker) rounding out the triactor.
Trained by Rene Allard, When Dovescry (Muscle Hill - Cedar Dove) sports a sensational seasonal summary of 5-2-1 from eight starts with $290,710 earned for Go Fast Stable of Powell, Oh., Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation, Que., Kapildeo Singh of Yorktown Heights, N.Y. and Lawrence Dumain of Pine Bush, N.Y.
Matt Kakaley engineered a perfect second-over trip for pacing filly Sylph Hanover and she did the rest to capture the $179,100 Matron for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Kakaley nestled Sylph Hanover into fifth off the gate as Darn Tootn Hanover (Corey Callahan) released Queen Of The Pride (Mike Cole) to allow the latter the lead through a :27.3 first quarter. Yannick Gingras right-lined favoured St Somewhere from third as the field hit the homestretch for the first time and cleared through a :55.1 half. Down the backside, Renaissance Lady K (David Miller) came to call on the leader from fourth with Sylph Hanover on that one's back second over. The compact field clicked off the third quarter in 1:24.2 with Renaissance Lady K finally able to front St Somewhere turning for home. Kakaley edged Sylph Hanover into the three-path off Miller's helmet and she sprinted by to win in 1:52.4. Queen Of The Pride found room to the inside and managed to steal the runner-up spot from Renaissance Lady K.
Ron Burke trains Sylph Hanover for his Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Penn. along with William Switala and James Martin of Clarence Center, N.Y. and Joseph Critelli of Lock Port, N.Y. In 12 outings, the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere - Shes A Fan has posted a 4-3-2 summary and banked more than $318,600 while picking up cheques in all but one of those dozen starts.
Blood Money rebounded from his first finish out of the top three in his most recent start -- a fifth-place finish in the Breeders Crown -- with a victory in the $213,000 Matron for two-year-old pacing colts.
Driver Yannick Gingras had Blood Money forwardly-placed off the gate but yielded to Love Me Some Lou (Corey Callahan), who came under immediate pressure from Mangogh (Brett Miller). Mangogh cleared after the sharp :26.3 opening panel but opted for a pocket ride from favoured No Mas Amor (Matt Kakaley), who was still overland from the onset and finally found the rail in advance of the :54.3 half.
Gingras sensed it was time to shift gears on Blood Money, guiding him into the outer flow ahead of Sugar Factory (David Miller). Blood Money gained rapidly on No Mas Amor down the backstretch, clearing to the lead after the 1:22.4 third stanza. Sugar Factory loomed the danger and was not going away on the outside. Through the stretch, Blood Money fought off the challenge of Sugar Factory and hit the wire first in a lifetime best 1:51.1. Sugar Factory was a head back in second with Reigning Deo (Andy McCarthy) flying late for show dough.
A homebred owned by Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, Pa., Blood Money (Sweet Lou - Blood Diamond) sports a 5-4-2 record from his 12 seasonal starts with $294,244 in earnings.
Grand Circuit stakes action continues at Dover next Thursday (November 15) with sophomore stars heading to The First State for their respective Matron Stakes events.