Purchased for only $3,000 as a yearling, Mr Ridgetaker is a Grand Circuit winner now as he captured a division of Tuesday’s $80,000 Arden Downs stake for freshman colt and gelding trotters at The Meadows
. The event known as the Henry Oliver was contested over four divisions, with Pekoe Fashion, Keystone Silencer and Boytown taking the other splits.
Rick and Regina Beinhauer liked what they saw of Mr Ridgetaker at the Lexington yearling sale and couldn’t imagine why the son of Tom Ridge-Miss Risktaker inspired little bidding interest.
“I though he was a helluva bargain. He’s out of a Sierra Kosmos mare, which I’m particularly fond of,” said Beinhauer, who campaigned Sierra Kosmos. “I don’t know why nobody else was bidding. It was just one of those things; you gotta be there when it happens.”
Mr Ridgetaker finished second in a Pennsylvania Sires Stake in his second start, and Tuesday, with Beinhauer at the helm, blew away the field in 1:57.3 despite being parked to the three-eighths. Swag was second, 10 lengths back, with Captain Jesse third.
“I wasn’t too worried about being outside,” Beinhauer said. “He looked like the best colt in that bunch. You never know how good they’ll be, but he’s always done everything right.”
Pekoe Fashion remained unbeaten in two career outings with a facile front-end score for Dave Palone in a stake-fastest 1:57. Carolina Carl rallied for second, 7-1/4 lengths in arrears, while Super Macdeen completed the ticket.
“He was well within himself,” Palone said. “I put him on the lead because I didn’t want to take any chances. He wanted to leave, and I didn’t want to double him up and make a mistake.”
Jim Campbell trains Pekoe Fashion, a son of Broadway Hall-Orange Pekoe, for Fashion Farms.
Keystone Silencer’s win was yet another blowout as he notched a commanding front-end victory for trainer/driver Todd Schadel in 1:57.3, 6-1/4 lengths better than Charles Ray. Hall Harbour was third.
“I thought leaving with him today was the best thing to do, although I don’t want to do it every week,” Schadel said of his $12,000 yearling acquisition. “He’s a nice colt, but he’s very growthy and has a lot of developing to do.”
Schadel owns the son of Andover Hall-Keystone Sirena with Max Hempt and Roger Hammer.
Grand Circuit Week at The Meadows resumes Wednesday when the card features the $65,848 James Manderino, an Arden Downs stake for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters. First post at 6:55 p.m. will follow the draw for post positions for Saturday’s $500,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios.
(The Meadows)