Classic Martine trotted faster than any distaff trotter on a five-eighth-mile oval in harness racing history on Saturday night when she rolled to victory in a $25,000 Preferred Trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Classic Martine (Classic Photo-Drinking Days), a four-year-old mare from the Chris Oakes barn making just her second start of the season after a stellar 2013, left from post position No. 5 in a field of seven as the 3-5 favourite. The mare sat second early behind Fearless Man before jumping to the lead on the front stretch. She took pressure from Coraggioso first-over for most of the second half of the mile, but, with Simon Allard in the bike, held him off by three-quarters of a length for the victory. Fearless Man finished third.
The winning time of 1:51.2 not only broke the world record of 1:51.4 for her age group, which was set by Maven in a Breeders Crown elimination at Pocono in October, it also broke the all-age distaff trotting record on a five-eighth-mile oval of 1:51.3, shared my Check Me Out and Cooler Schooner.
Classic Martine, owned by Susan Oakes, Conrad Zurich, Earl Gold, and Hauser Brothers Racing Enterprises, is now two-for-two in 2014. The win was her 14th lifetime in just 29 starts, and she pushed her career earnings to $566,224.
In other action on Saturday night at Pocono, Emeritus Maximus (Rocknoll Hanover-Eternitys Delight) rallied late from far back for a victory in the $25,000 Preferred Pace. Driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Tom Cancelliere, the four-year-old gelding got away at 8-1, but corralled even-money favourite All Star Legend in the stretch to win by a neck in 1:49.3. Eighteen finished third.
(Pocono Downs)