A 1:51.3 mile by a trotter in the month of March – surely you jest, right?
Wrong!
Lucky Jim turned in a scintillating clocking of 1:51.3 in today’s first division of the Horse & Groom Series at The Meadowlands, and that performance equals the World Record for four-year-old trotting geldings on a mile track.
The Julie Miller-trained son of S Js Photo now shares the record with Corleone Kosmos (2006) and Flamewalker (2007).
Sauce Two K played a pivotal role in the record-equaling performance. He powered through fractions of :27.1, :55.2 and 1:24.1 before giving way to a host of backfield challengers.
Andy Miller, who sat sixth for most of the mile with Lucky Jim, showed his charge racetrack at the head of the lane and the gelding did the rest. Lucky Jim steamrolled to the top and froze the teletimer in an eye-catching clocking of 1:51.3. Knight Of Intrigue was second and Wind Surfer finished third.
The other $20,000 division saw Shoeless White Sox rally to win in a career-best clocking of 1:53.1. for trainer Mark Harder and driver George Brennan. The four-year-old graduate of the OSS program races for owner/breeder Chris Alexander of Aurora, ON.
Brennan mapped out a second-over trip for the son of Mr Lavec, who sprinted home in :27.2 to seal the deal over race favourite Rompaway Alvin. Third prize went to Azur.
The trotter has won two of his last three starts since making the move to The Meadowlands, and Sunday’s $10,000 payday bumped his lifetime earnings in excess of $120,000.
The $96,000 final of the Horse & Groom Series goes next Sunday afternoon at The Meadowlands.
To view Sunday’s results, click here.