Fancy Filly is the best two-year-old filly George Teague, Jr. ever trained. To be the best three-year-old is going to take some work
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“She’s definitely the best two-year-old, but Rainbow Blue might have something to say about the three-year-old part,” Teague said with a laugh as he referred to the 2004 Horse of the Year, who Teague trained to 20 wins in 21 starts that season. “I could only hope at this point that she’s that good. That’s yet to be seen. She’d have to do some amazing things to win that many races.”
So far in 2010, Fancy Filly is 2-for-2. She will go for her third win Saturday in the $250,072 James M. Lynch Memorial Stakes at Pocono Downs.
Last year, the daughter of Western Hanover-Fanciful Hanover won 10 of 12 starts including the $610,000 Breeders Crown and $500,000 Three Diamonds (in 1:51.1, the world record for a two-year-old filly on a five-eighths-mile track). She earned $840,926 and was voted the best two-year-old pacing filly by the U.S. Harness Writers Association and O’Brien Award voters. She was purchased as a yearling for $15,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale.
“She’s been all right on any size track so far,” Teague said. “She’s handy, she’s good gaited; she’s got all the tools. She really likes what she’s doing. That helps a ton. She’s come back excellent; I couldn’t have asked for her to come back any better. Her fitness and her health have never been an issue, so that’s a plus. That can change at any time, but it never has been an issue. She knows how to win. Good horses do good things.”
Last week, Fancy Filly won her Lynch elimination race by 1-1/4 lengths over Courageous Lady champion Sand Windsor in 1:51.1. All Heart Gal was third and also advanced to the nine-horse final.
“She (Fancy Filly) came out of it good; no worse for wear,” Teague said. “She hadn’t raced in three weeks, so she should be a hair better this week. I think she’ll be a little sharper and get sharper as the season goes on. She does everything you ask her to do. There’s nothing real flashy about her; she goes to work, shows up every week and does a good job when she’s out there.”
Feeling You, who has won eight of nine races this season, brings a six-race win streak to the final. She won her elim by 1-3/4 lengths over Native Doll in 1:51.1. No Bad Luck, another Teague trainee, was third. Ruffles Kiss won the remaining elim, beating A And Gs Princess by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.4. Sammys Magic Girl was third.
“It looks like a competitive group of horses,” Teague said. “We’ll definitely have to earn it.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S.
Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.