"She has a good brush and when she comes, she comes with authority."
And who is "she"? She is Social Scene and that was driver George Brennan's understatement after to guided Social Scene to an impressive victory to highlight the action in three divisions of the New York Sires Stakes for three-year-old filly pacers at Batavia Downs Wednesday night.
Social Scene ($3.60) was sitting fourth behind pacesetting Cheyenne Miriam (Simon Allard) through a leisurely half of :59 in the second division worth $42,679. Social Scene (American Ideal-On The Catwalk) and Brennan had enough of the stroll the seven fillies were on. The duo came first over and used an unreal :26.2 three-quarter panel to knock out the field and finished with a :54.1 second half to romp to a nearly nine length win. American In Paris (Jim Morrill Jr.) took second and Cheyenne Miriam held on for third.
"She's pretty one-dimensional, she has zero finish so I figured we had to go," Brennan said of the rocket-like move Social Scene showed.
Social Scene now has five wins in nine starts in 2013 and jacked her seasonal earnings to $140,188. She is trained by Casie Coleman for the West Wins Stable, of Cambridge, Ont., Steve Calhoun of Chatham, Ont. and Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont.
Summertime Lea ($2.30) was seriously tested in the $41,579 first division of the Sire Stakes, but prevailed by a half-length over a stubborn Winbak Heavenly in 1:53 over the fast track.
Winbak Heavenly played hard ball with Summertime Lea to quarter pole before the winner arrived there in :27.
"I knew they [Winbak Heavenly and Jim Marohn Jr.] weren't going to let me go in one step," Morrill said of the first quarter tussle.
From there, Summertime Lea set the fractions of :56.1 and 1:25 and came home in :28 to hold off the late threat from Winbak Heavenly. JK Black Beauty (Greg Merton) finished in third.
"They almost got me in the end," Morrill said of the close finish with Winbak Heavenly.
Summertime Lea, the 1-9 favourite, had just raced on Saturday in the $350,000 Valley Forge at Pocono. Morrill said the short rest might have been a factor, but added, "She gives 150 per cent every time."
It was the 14th win in 18 starts for Summertime Lea (Lislea-Donna Summer) and now has earned $168,651 this season and $463,504 lifetime. North America's leading trainer Ron Burke conditions the winner.
In the third division worth $41,879, Springforth (Artiscape-Spring Morning) went wire-to-wire for driver Ray Fisher Jr. in a lifetime best of 1:53.2 and easily held off the challenges of runner-up Bettor Think Twice (Cat Manzi) and Happy Apples (Jim Marohn Jr.).
Springforth, trained by Melissa Beckwith, set sail from the two-hole and posted fractions of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:25.1 to score her seventh win of the season in 14 starts. It also increased her season winnings to $116,192.
In the $12,700 Excelsior Series for the three-year-old filly pacers, Trevors Bebe ($2.80) and John Cummings Jr. won the first division in 1:54.4, Bettor Buns ($3) and Jim Morrill Jr. won the second leg in 1:57.3, and Know It All ($19.80) and John Stark Jr. won the final leg in 1:53.4.
(With files from Batavia Downs)