Twin B Joe Fresh and driver Dexter Dunn went to the front on the backstretch, fended off a challenge from Sylvia Hanover, and then held off late-closing Silver Label by a half length to win the $191,781 Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older female pacers in a career-best 1:47.3 on Saturday, July 13 at The Meadowlands. Sylvia Hanover was third.
Grace Hill led the field to the opening quarter in :27 before Twin B Joe Fresh moved from third to take the top spot and, with Sylvia Hanover charging up alongside, reached the half in :53.4. Sylvia Hanover got in front heading to the turn, but was unable to clear, and those two raced together to three-quarters in 1:21.1.
Twin B Joe Fresh seized control entering the stretch, but her work was not completed until she rebuffed Silver Label at the finish. It was Twin B Joe Fresh’s fifth win in six races this season and her seventh consecutive victory on the Grand Circuit dating back to last November.
“She’s racing against a great group of mares, so nothing comes easy,” Dunn said. “She really had to dig deep late in the stretch there to hold them off. All credit to her, she did all the work and put an amazing mile in.”
Twin B Joe Fresh is owned by trainer Chris Ryder, Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. The four-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze was bred by Brittany Farms. She has won 24 of 33 career races and earned $1.86 million.
“She’s obviously come back great this year,” Dunn said. “She felt terrific tonight. She meant business. She’s so versatile, she can do it any way. Last time, it was from off the back. Tonight, it was on the front. So, it makes my job easy. I’m just happy to be along for the ride.”
Sent off as the 2-5 favourite, Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.80 to win.
(Meadowlands)