Cardiff had to take the dreaded 'tuck-then-first-over' journey in the $30,000 Bobby Weiss Series Championship for pacing fillies and mares at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday, but the Sportswriter mare showed great determination in getting the decision in a lifetime best 1:51.1.
Cardiff, who had a first and two seconds in her Weiss prelims, tucked mid-pack from post eight for driver Simon Allard, as a pair of horses on a three-race win streak, 2-5 favourite Ghostwriter and Girls Got Rhythm, argued through a smoking :26.2 quarter, with the latter claiming the top at that point. Cardiff was again on the move under the wire the first time as Girls Got Rhythm led the field to the half in :54.4, then cut into the pacesetter’s advantage by the three-quarter pole in 1:22.3, with the chalk lurking in the pocket.
Turning for home it looked like the trip was starting to wear on Cardiff, as Ghosttothepost went to the Pocono Pike to try to catch Girls Got Rhythm. But Cardiff dug deep into her talent pool and gamely paced on to be 1-1/2 lengths ahead at the wire, with Ghosttothepost next, a neck ahead of Girls Got Rhythm. Simon’s brother Rene trains the courageous winner for Allard Racing Inc and Carmen Carson.
Also on the Tuesday card were three $15,000 final preliminary round divisions of the Weiss Series for trotting males, and the Credit Winner four-year-old My Lindy Winner established himself as the likely Weiss Championship favourite by sweeping his three prelims, here scoring in 1:55.3 to remain undefeated in six seasonal starts.
Though the Rob Harmon trainee won his other two prelims by six and four lengths, this half-length victory over pacesetter Dover Dony may have been the most impressive of the trio, as Jim Morrill, Jr. sent the horse uncovered from third and his trotter responded by gaining into a :28.1 last quarter and finishing a measured winner.
The Conway Hall gelding Hammer Creek must like suspense, as he had two wins in the Weiss prelims, but in both victories his winning margin was only a nose, on Tuesday over the wild-charging Livinonthedash in 1:55.3. Eric Carlson came uncovered at the three-quarter pole, went to the lead in the stretch, and then withstood the flying Livinonthedash for trainer Kenneth Hess, Jr. and owner Richard Ciesielski.
Lightfootedlegend, like his stablemate in the Erv Miller barn Livinonthedash, made his first start in the Weiss, and the Mr Cantab gelding broke his maiden in fine style, coming out on the far turn and catching pacesetting Higgs Boson by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.3. Marcus Miller guided the four-year-old for the Ervin Miller Stable Inc, Ronald Michelon and Harvey Eisman.
Despite the good performances, the two Weiss debutants for the Millers did not finish in the top nine preliminary point winners (although they may make a $15,000 consolation, depending on how many and who declares in).
The unofficial top nine point winners heading for next Monday’s $30,000 Weiss Championship in this group are: 1. My Lindy Winner, 2. Hammer Creek, 3. Higgs Boson, 4. Chapter And Ruth, 5. Dover Dony, 6. Got No Money Honey, 7. Keystone Thunder, 8. Loving Life and 9. Teardown This Wall, with Flammable tenth and the pair of Brandywine Battle and London Hanover tied for eleventh in the shaping up of the “AEs” and the consolation.
(PHHA / Pocono)