It’s not too often you’ll see a :30.4 final quarter earn a horse a stake win on the WEG circuit, but Lucky Jeans did it on Thursday evening to take home the lion’s share of the purse in the $40,900 final of the Autumn Stake
for two-year-old pacing fillies.
The homebred daughter of Camluck-Oliviajeankillean was sent through demanding fractions while under the gun and then battled into a pretty stiff headwind, but that didn’t stop her from notching her second win of the season for the partnership of the Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, ON and the C S X Stable of Liberty Center, OH.
Randy Waples and Lucky Jeans battled with Joanniehasafanny to the quarter pole in :26.4 before the latter crossed over for the lead. Waples promptly came back around to retake command and proceeded to lay down middle splits of :55.4 and 1:24 while dealing with a pesky C Lulujustlikethis.
Lucky Jeans put away that first over rival, but had a host of backfield challengers closing in. Kims Quest found a late seam in deep stretch and it appeared at first like she might go sailing by Lucky Jeans, but that filly dug in when called on by Waples. She held on to win by a half-length margin over Kims Quest in a career-best and stake record clocking of 1:54.4. Racy Gal Hanover rallied to finish third.
The former stake record of 1:55.1 was set by Lil Miss Nyalation and driver Mike Saftic in last year’s edition.
Bob McIntosh conditions the filly, who now boasts a 2-4-3 record in 10 tries. The $20,450 payday bumped her bankroll to $52,110.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click here.