Trainer Tim Roach reached the 1,000-win milestone on Thursday, June 27 when Elians Lightning trotted to a 2:08.4 win in her $7,740 Colt Stakes event for Michigan-sired three-year-old trotting fillies at the Tuscola County Fairgrounds, in Caro, Mich.
Elians Lightning, who won eight of 11 races and made $89,645 as a two-year-old, rebounded from a fifth-place finish at Croswell by riding the pocket behind Paragonsalisnchains before Roach pulled her off the pegs to take the lead at three-quarters. From there, the daughter of Southwind Elian-Show Me The Light trotted three lengths clear to give Roach the milestone win and the centerpiece of a training and driving hat trick.
Roach, who turned 63 on Thursday, also won with two-year-old trotting filly Libbys Lucky Lady (2:09) and three-year-old trotting filly Wallys Queen (2:12).
Trainer Kent Hess and driver David Lake continued their dominance of the Colt Stakes, teaming up for a hat trick after winning four races together last Thursday at Croswell. The pair won with a trio of Marjorie Deshetsky homebreds: two-year-old trotting filly Kaa Dee Carol (2:08.2), two-year-old pacing filly Kaa Dee Polly (2:05) and three-year-old trotting gelding Kaa Dee Archie (2:05.2). Lake also drove two-year-old trotting gelding Bandsrompawaykid (2:10.1) to victory for trainer Rick Lake.
The Michigan fair circuit saw its first 2:00 miles of the season as Forever A Flirt defeated Flippin Lucky in a $7,705 three-year-old filly pace in 1:59.1 for driver Brad Kramer and trainer Kelly Goodwin, and Isle Of Man narrowly held off a hard-closing Kourageous Key in 1:59 to win the $15,274 three-year-old male pace for driver Justin Irvine and trainer Peter Otten.
Through two weeks of the Michigan Colt Stakes season, Libbys Lucky Lady, Kaa Dee Carol, Kaa Dee Polly, Kaa Dee Archie and Forever A Flirt all boast two-for-two records, along with two-year-old pacing colt Not Fake News (2:02.1, Kramer) and three-year-old trotting gelding Guns A Brazen (2:04, Raymond Kinney).
Week 3 of the Michigan fair circuit commences Saturday, July 6, with Michigan-bred events at Charlotte, followed by Michigan-sired events at Big Rapids on Monday, July 8, and Tuesday, July 9.
(Michigan Harness Horsemen's Association)