The betting public sent Talespinner off as the 1-9 favourite in Thursday’s $50,000 Bridger Trotting Series Final at Mohawk Racetrack, and the much-talked-about rookie was 1-9 the best for Team Baillargeon
.
Talespinner, who toted a 2-for-2 record into Thursday’s assignment, used a “catch me if you can” approach for driver Mario Baillargeon to win in under-wraps fashion.
The Ben Baillargeon-trained son of Conway Hall-Fairy Tail led the field through comfortable panels of :29.2, :58.4 and 1:27.4 before firing home in :28.3 and stopping the teletimer in 1:56.2. Just In sat a pocket trip throughout and finished five lengths back in second. Third prize went to Gotabgoodtoblucky.
The 1:56.2 clocking knocked four-fifths of a second off the previous record of 1:57.1 set by O’Brien Award winner Windsong Espoir in 2007.
“I thought tonight he was more business off the gate,” said driver Mario Baillargeon. “He’s maturing well and coming out of there that’s the best he’s been in the first eighth of the mile. I never really asked him, I just kept his attention. It was like a training mile for him tonight. He’s got some tougher races coming up in the next few weeks, so we’ll get a better idea at that point. He’s a very good-natured colt who is just playing out there, but I think when we ask him to he will go out there and work.”
Richard Berthiaume of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, QC shelled out $100,000 to purchase the trotting terror out at last year’s Lexington Select Yearling Sale in Kentucky, and the colt has earned back $43,000 to date.
To view Thursday’s results, click here.