'Peelers' Scratched, Season Unclear

Saying "she's just not the same horse", trainer Jimmy Takter will scratch the brilliant See You At Peelers from her scheduled start Monday night

in a division of Yonkers Raceway's $234,832 New York Sire Stakes Peekskill Pace for three-year-old fillies.

"Peelers" had drew post position No. 3 in the $78,744 third and final grouping, going as the sixth race. The other two divisions, worth $78,744 and $77,344, are to be contested as non-bettors beginning at 6:00 p.m.

"Marcus (Johansson) trained her this morning in (1):56, with a 57 (second) back half--and said she wasn't herself," Takter said from Canada, where he’s preparing for a stakes weekend.

The talk of the harness racing world for the majority of the season, See You At Peelers' celebrated perfect career ended after 22 consecutive victories (including 9-for-9 to start 2011) when the pacing filly tired to sixth in the Meadows' Nadia Lobell. She then crossed the line first in a sire stakes event at Tioga, only to be set down to second for impeding the progress of the eventually-put-up New Album (who, by the way, competes in Monday first non-bettor).

"Her heart rate is not normal," said Takter, who was scheduled to drive the filly himself Monday night. "There was never anything wrong with her before. Her vet bills were lower than any horse I have. I first noticed something after the race at the Meadows, and I was stupid to race her at Tioga. I'm not going to be stupid twice. It was suggested we send her up to Cornell for a stress test, but I'm worried something might happen (during the test) and she could get hurt.

"I'm sorry I have to scratch her, especially from Yonkers. She loves racing there (career 5-for-5, including beating the boys in this season's $307,734 Art Rooney Pace), but she's too good a filly. I can't race her if I'm not convinced she's 1,000 percent.”

For See You At Peelers, a daughter of Bettors Delight co-owned (and bred) by Takter’s wife, Christina, along with John and Jim Fielding, she goes over $1.5 million in career earnings with her next pay envelope of any consequence.

"I can't speak for the rest of the season," Takter said. "There are a lot of stakes left, and we'd like to have her ready, but it's really up to her. As for next season, I'm not a breeder. I'm in the business to race horses, and I think she'd be a tremendous four-year-old...but again, that's a decision for later.

"For now, we just have to try and get her back to the way she was."

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)