The stage is set for next week's rich Michigan Championship card at the Barry Expo Center, in Hastings, Mich., after the eliminations for both two-year-old trotting divisions were contested on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at the same venue.
Libbys Lucky Lady became the fastest two-year-old trotting filly ever at Hastings when she defeated A Gal Named Jane by 19-1/2 lengths with a pillar-to-post 2:02.4 performance in her $14,109 elimination. Trainer-driver Tim Roach co-owns the five-time winner, a daughter of Musclesprinctonian-Stickum Vicky, with Kyle Larner and Ron Van Wagoner.
Capella Star captured the other $14,109 elimination for fillies, defeating Betsy Lou by 7-1/4 lengths in 2:05.1. Lavern Miller owns, trains, and drove the Big Rigs-Dreamy Secret filly to her fourth career win.
Chip Of The South was the dominant force among rookie male trotters, winning in 2:05.1 and delivering a 15-1/4-length drubbing to Ripn Hero in his $13,892 elimination. Brad Kramer picked up the drive on the Bourbon Chip-Belle Of The South gelding, who has now won three of his nine career starts for trainer Monica Krist and the partnership of Teresa Marotta, Rick Dobson and Melissa Kesler.
New Plan Stan extended his undefeated record to six-for-six in the $13,892 first elimination, turning aside a sustained bid from Amtrac to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 2:07. Trainer-driver Greg Bateson co-owns the Musclesprinctonian-Vegas Sunset gelding with Ernest Ayers.
The top four finishers from each elimination qualified for the Michigan Championship finals, to be held next Tuesday, Sept. 3. The fields, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
- A Gal Named Jane
- Betsy Lou
- Capella Star
- Girly Muscles
- Keepurhandstourslf
- Libbys Lucky Lady
- Ruth Langmore
- What The Fluff
Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot
- Amtrac
- Bandsrompawaykid
- Chip Of The South *
- Creed
- Deadly Sting
- New Plan Stan *
- Paragon Magicway
- Ripn Hero
Neither of the two-year-old pacing divisions nor any of the three-year-old events required eliminations.
(Michigan Harness Horsemen's Association)