Announcer Ken Warkentin exclaimed, "It doesn't get any better than that!" and you'd be hard pressed to argue. After doing virtually nothing wrong since arriving in North America, Shartin N is now the fastest female pacer in the history of harness racing with a jaw-dropping performance in the 2019 Lady Liberty Final on Hambletonian Day (August 3) at The Meadowlands.
Shartin N wins the 2019 Lady Liberty (Lisa Photo)
Driver Tim Tetrick was playing no games on Saturday afternoon, leaving alertly from the rail along with Apple Bottom Jeans (Corey Callahan). Sensing danger, Tetrick protected his position after Apple Bottom Jeans cleared and popped pocket to clear back to the lead through a :26 opening quarter.
Post 10 starter Kissin In The Sand (David Miller) couldn't find a spot on the rail and was forced to press on, with Youaremycandygirl (Yannick Gingras) second over and Caviart Ally (Andy McCarthy) locked in third along the rail. The field continued in this order through a :53.4 half and 1:21 third station.
At this point, Youaremycandygirl tipped three-wide with third over Shower Play (Dan Dube) following that move. Coming into the stretch, it would appear that Caviart Ally would get room to make a bid, and she did. However, at that moment Tetrick gave Shartin the word and she absolutely exploded with pace. After a mile without a real rest, Shartin shot home in :25.4 to trip the teletimer in a world record 1:46.4. Caviart Ally closed in futile chase of the leader but held second over a hard-charging Shower Play.
The mile time shaved one-fifth of a second off the existing standard for distaff pacers, set by Shebestingin at The Red Mile in 2013.
"If there's a freak out there, she's it," said a smiling Tetrick after the record win. "I don't know how fast she can go...she wasn't done there, I never untucked my whip. Right now she's just so much fun to drive, she's getting smarter and she's just on her game."
Tetrick co-owns Shartin N (Tintin In America - Bagdarin) along with Richard Poillucci of North Easton, Mass. and Joann Looney King of Harrington, Del. The Jim King Jr.-trained six-year-old now boasts 12 wins in 13 seasonal outings, and the win pushes her purse earnings just shy of the double millionaire mark at $1,967,295.
Check out all the happenings from 2019 Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands in the 2019 Hambletonian Day News Centre