A patient approach by driver Tim Tetrick paid off handsomely for the connections of Dont Know Chip, who rallied to an impressive victory in Thursday’s $74,000 final of The Horse & Groom Series
at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The same type of trip was just as lucrative for Some Girls Do one race later in the $53,800 final of the Night Styles Series.
Dont Know Chip was allowed to settle into sixth while Mystery Photo and Affirmed Action battled to the quarter pole in :27.3. The latter cleared to the top but wound up in a fierce battle with Southwind Vavoom. Those two locked horns and went toe-to-toe through middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25, and that set it up for the backfield.
Tetrick angled off cover at the head of the lane with Don’t Know Chip, who used a 28.1 final quarter to propel himself to the 1:53.4 win over a hard-charging Celebrity Hercules, who was a neck in arrears. Third prize went to Mystery Photo, who lacked racing room until the final strides.
"There was plenty of speed up front," Tetrick said. "Even if they go slow around that last turn, my horse always wants to get off his work a little bit, but down by the seven-eighths, he'll always kick in. Some times he's too far back, but tonight he kept up well enough and really sprinted to the wire from the seven-eighths on. My horse will never win by many, but he knows where the wire is. If he can get a head in front, he'll usually keep it. It's just hard getting that head in front."
The six-year-old son of Chip Chip Hooray-Ceremonial has put together a 3-3-1 record in eight starts this season for the partnership of Kathy Ratcliff, Jerry Zosel and Harmon Racing Stable LLC. The homebred, who is trained by Rob Harmon, is now a 14-time winner in his career, and the lion’s share of the purse boosted his lifetime earnings to $231,781.
Some Girls Do was treated to a second over trip by driver Brian Sears in the final of the Night Styles Series, and the trip was exactly what she needed to get up in the final strides for the 1:52.2 victory.
Elegant Girl and BJs Mayreau were locked in stride to the quarter pole in :27.3 before the latter cleared to the top. Summer Snow rushed to the lead in the backstretch, and she supplied middle splits of :56 and 1:24.4 while feeling pressure from Only The World. Some Girls Do, in the meantime, was tracking the first-over prompter’s cover.
Sears punched the accelerator on Some Girls Do coming off the final turn, and the filly used a :27.1 closing quarter to prevail by a neck over a dead game Summer Snow in 1:52.2. Fax Me, who finished third, saw her late rally come up a neck short, as well.
"There were a few horses leaving out of there on the first turn and I knew that Summer Snow could be a handful once she gets started up," Sears said. "I just took my time and was able to work out a good trip for her. Summer Snow was tough, but my filly's been sharp and she is getting better every week."
Sent off as the 7-5 favourite, Some Girls Do improved her 2011 record to 4-3-1 in nine starts for trainer Ron Burke. The three-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Village Green has banked $79,590 to date for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and Earl Smith.
(With quotes from the Meadowlands Racetrack)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Meadowlands Racetrack.