The betting public tabbed Gliding Fashion as the filly to beat in Sunday’s $42,700 final of the In Free Trotting Series, and the Rob Fellows-trained rookie didn’t disappoint
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The daughter of Yankee Glide-Fashionable Liv was a 2:01.2 winner in last week’s second leg of the series, and she was even better with the big money on the line for Fellows and partners Steve Bregman, George Wilton and Hartley Borenstein.
Gliding Fashion tucked into the three hole as the starting gate sped away. Linda Lovelegs, in the meantime, rolled to the lead and had the field lined up behind her as she scooted past the quarter pole in :29.3. With the first turn out of the way, Sylvain Filion hit the throttle with Gliding Fashion and she wasted no time in brushing to the top.
She was the leader at the mid-way point in 1:00, and she was still in total control of the tempo at the three-quarter pole in 1:30.3. Gliding Fashion turned on the afterburners in the lane as she trotted home in :29 seconds en route to the career-best clocking of 1:59.3. Runner-up Tyrone Showgirl was more than four lengths behind the winner, while Tymal Tiara a distant third.
“We’ve tried to keep her quiet; she’s a little hot,” said trainer/co-owner Rob Fellows. “She fights with the bit a little bit, and it’s immaturity really. After she got off the gate I was confident, but it’s a horse race and she’s a two-year-old trotting filly and anything can happen.”
“I went to the two-year-olds in training sale looking for a pacing mare that was in and she caught my eye,” Fellows added. “Larry Walker trained her down all winter, and she looked okay in the schooler that morning after making a break leaving. I thought she was undervalued at the sale; we gave $52,000 for her.”
In four career starts the freshman has put together a 2-1-0 record while banking $47,466.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.