Crystal Fashion closed stoutly to collar pacesetter Atlanta and capture the first $100,000 2018 Hambletonian elimination.
Driver Tim Tetrick settled Crystal Fasion away in mid-pack early as Atlanta (Scott Zeron) was intent on making the front from post seven. The filly cleared to the top after a four-wide surge through the opening turn with a :26 opening quarter. Lawmaker (David Miller) was a loose pocket sitter through the opening half of the mile as Atlanta sizzled through a :53.2 half. Favoured Wolfgang (Yannick Gingras) commenced the outer flow from fourth after the half-mile mark, with Crystal Fashion on his helmet as Atlanta continued a torrid clip by hitting three-quarters in 1:21.1. Tipped three-wide around Wolfgang after the third station, Crystal Fashion was just finding his best form.
Turning for home, the strides on Atlanta started to shorten. Crystal Fashion gained on Atlanta with each stride and collared the pacesetter just before the wire. The time of the mile was 1:50.1, a new world record for a three-year-old trotting gelding.
"My horse in the turn, I got up on Yannick's back and he felt great. When I tipped him, he got off on the right foot and chased that mare down. It was pretty special."
Owned by Fashion Farms LLC of New Hope, Penn. and trained by Jim Campbell, Crystal Fashion (Cantab Hall - Window Willow) has a record of 6-3-0 from nine seasonal starts.
"He's been good all year, he's just a chaser," continued Tetrick. "You have to make sure you have him in the right spot. He's always given me a good effort."
Also qualifying for the final along with Crystal Fashion and Atlanta: third-place finisher Mets Hall (Andy Miller) as well as Evaluate (Orjan Kihlstrom) and Hat Trick Habit (Brian Sears) who finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Be sure to check out the rest of the coverage from Hambletonian Day in the 2018 Hambletonian Day News Centre.