Maven, whose willfulness frustrated her trainer as he prepared her for the races, showed that the effort was worth it Monday by remaining unbeaten with a dominating victory - in a stakes-record 1:56.1
- in a division of a $120,000 Arden Downs trot at The Meadows.
The Grand Circuit event for two-year-old filly trotters, known as the Judge Joe McGraw, was contested over six divisions, with Sand Violent Blu, Oasis Dream, Blue Yonder, On The Bright Side and Superstar Hanover taking the other $20,000 divisions.
Gingras let the field settle before moving Maven to the front. Once there, the daughter of Glidemaster-M Stewart drew away steadily to defeat Order By Wish by 7-3/4 lengths, with Voluptuous Ronda third. Maven stretched her career unbeaten streak to three for owner William Donovan, but several months ago, Czernyson wasn’t sure she would make it to the races.
“What did I like about her when she was training down? Nothing,” Czernyson said. “When everybody else was at 2:30, she was training in 3:00 and didn’t even want to go that fast. I knew from Day 1 that she had speed, but she just wouldn’t cooperate with us.
“We changed her routine a little, and it changed her attitude. She’s just coming to herself, getting better and better. She has the potential to be a top filly.”
Her time erased the stake record of 1:57 set earlier in the card by Sand Violent Blu, another idiosyncratic type who can be so self-destructive that trainer Tye Loy has lined her stall with protective rubber mats.
“I spent $400 or $500 to install them,” Loy said. “She doesn’t kick the walls constantly, just here and there. If she can stay healthy, she’ll be special. Coming off the back end, she has pacer speed.”
In the Judge Joe McGraw, Sand Violent Blu looped the field from the gate for Brett Miller and scored handily, four lengths better than By A Nose Hanover. Early leader Access To Success saved show. Bill Sanders bred and owns Sand Violent Blu, a daughter of Tom Ridge-Sand Lavender Blu.
Oasis Dream looked every bit the 1-9 favourite the public made her, using a powerful first-over move to score in 1:57.1. Uncommon Night was second, 2-1/4 lengths in arrears, while Aldebaran Malibu completed the ticket.
Oasis Dream has won both her career outings from off the trot, a deliberate strategy crafted by trainer Bob Stewart.
“They seem to learn to come off the gate fast enough,” Stewart said of the $50,000 yearling acquisition. “So the first few starts, we like to race them from the middle. But she has plenty of go. I though she’d be good enough to catch them. She’s staked through Lexington.”
Fredericka Caldwell and Bluestone Farms own Oasis Dream, a daughter of Cantab Hall-Dream Angel who gave Palone one of his six victories on the 15-race card.
Grand Circuit Week continues Tuesday at The Meadows when the card features the $80,000 Henry Oliver for freshman colt and gelding trotters and a $5,000-guaranteed pool for the Pick 4 spanning races 12 through 15. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)