The moment after Blazin Britches’ hooves touched the ground for the very first time, Bruce Trogdon fell deeply in love with the newborn bay filly with a big, white blaze. Not only was the filly the result of three generations raised on his farm, there was a certain aura about this youngster that inspired Trogdon and dared him to dream.
“She was big and beautiful from the day she was born,” said Trogdon, the proprietor of Emerald Highlands Farm. “I bought her grandmother at the Harrisburg Mixed Sale as a weanling from the Stoner Creek dispersal. Her name was Soggy Dragon (by Dragons Lair) and she was a beautiful gray filly out of the Watering Can family that I have had good luck with. She was tough and strong and it took eight people to get her out of the stall at Harrisburg. I raised her and she raced well for us, was Grand Circuit stakes placed in Lexington; Chip Noble trained her for me.
“I bred and retained two daughters of Soggy Dragon. One was a big, bay beautiful All American Ingot mare that I named Soggy Britches. Mike Medors and Tony O'Sullivan trained her; she was a very good race mare. Soggy Britches had difficulty foaling her first foal and injured her cervix so she has been hard to get foals out of. But we were fortunate to get this filly (Blazin Britches) and sometimes you just know they are special right away; that’s how I felt about Blazin Britches.”
Blazin Britches, victorious at the Meadowlands Racetrack (Lisa Photo)
Sired by Rock N Roll Heaven, Blazin Britches has been nothing short of spectacular in her brief career with a record of 11-9-1-0 and $203,392 in the bank. Her performances and current five-race winning streak have earned her the role as the 6-5 morning line favourite in her elimination in the 47th edition of the $273,250 Jugette for three-year-old filly pacers on Wednesday (September 20) at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio.
Conditioned by Brian Brown, the filly will have Trace Tetrick holding the lines when she commences her quest for the Jugette trophy from Post 3 in the first of two $54,650 eliminations. Her primary competition in the elimination appears to be the $257,850 Empire Breeders Classic winner Obvious Blue Chip (4-1, Post 4, Scott Zeron).
If Blazin Britches enters the winner’s circle after the conclusion of the second heat, she will not only prove Trogdon’s initial emotions about her ability were correct, but will provide her owner/breeder, trainer and driver with their second Jugette victory, as this team was responsible for 2014 winner Colors A Virgin.
A triumph by the filly would also afford Brown and Trogdon the opportunity to complete an exceptional feat due to Fear The Dragon’s presence in the 72nd edition of the Little Brown Jug. Only two trainers, Brett Pelling (in 1998) and Billy Haughton (in 1974 and 1985), have captured these two classic contests in the same season, while no owner has ever won both races.
Brown and Trogdon are confident Blazin Britches will hold up her end of the bargain in the Jugette.
"I think ‘Britches’ is a truly great horse; a beast!” Trogdon said. “I have had many great mares like Loving Success and Colors A Virgin, but Britches is probably the fastest I have ever had."
Trogdon's trainer concurs with his assessment.
“This filly has more speed than Colors A Virgin,” Brown said. “Colors A Virgin had a different style and was much more of a grinder. Blazin Britches is just very fast and has the same determination and heart the other mare had. I would have to agree with Bruce this filly may very well be the best one he has ever had.”
After experiencing health issues which limited her to only one start – a sixth-place finish as a two-year-old – Blazin Britches rewarded the faith her connections placed in her when she returned to the pari-mutuel ranks this year.
The filly kicked off 2017 with four consecutive wins at Hoosier Park from April 8 to April 29, then finished second behind the older Miss Mady in a conditioned event at the same facility on July 1.
Since that loss, Blazin Britches has yet to be defeated. Her victories include a $63,475 division of the Adioo Volo at The Meadows, a stakes record performance (1:48.4) in the $113,950 Shady Daisy at the Meadowlands and the $160,000 Nadia Lobell at Hoosier Park.
“At two she showed huge ability, but something was bugging her and we couldn't find it,” Trogdon said. “I always suspected a stifle because when I turned her at the farm last summer she always had a slight hitch the first few steps. This year Rick Mathers found it and injected it and that turned her around. My second trainer, Shane Bowermaster, deserves a lot of credit with her. So does her driver, Trace Tetrick, who treats all his horses with great respect; that's why I love him driving for us so much.
“This year she was training fabulous, so Brian told me to go ahead and stake her to everything and he was right. Unfortunately she developed an abscess in her foot right before the Fan Hanover and Lynch. It wouldn't pop so we brought her home to the farm and soaked her foot in Epsom salts around the clock and turned her out on the wet grass until it did. We then sent her back to Delaware and her groom, Kim, continued treating it.
“I hated to miss those races because we knew how good she was and I had plans of racing her wherever Fear The Dragon went. She would have a lot more money on her card if she had.”
Blazin Britches also has a specific element to her personality that is often present in quality female horses.
“She can be tough and she definitely likes her own way,” Brown said. “But she is definitely not a mean horse, she just has her quirks like many of them do.”
Trogdon explained the filly’s temperament is a characteristic she inherited from her dam and granddam.
“Blazin Britches is very strong-willed like the rest of her family,” he said. “I have told Brian from the beginning not to manhandle her; she is great for me to work with but I treat her like a princess. If you don't fight with her she won't fight with you. You want a fight, she will give you one.”
Although her opponents in the Jugette and beyond will definitely bring their own qualifications to the table, Trogdon acknowledges this filly is truly royalty in his mind.
“She is my princess,” he said. “I have loved her since the day she was born.”
Here is the complete Jugette field:
$54,650 First Elimination
(PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line Odds)
1. Rockin Serena-Peter Wrenn-Melanie Wrenn-9/2
2. Jayes A Lady-Yannick Gingras-Nancy Johansson-8/1
3. Blazin Britches-Trace Tetrick-Brian Brown-6/5
4. Obvious Blue Chip-Scott Zeron-Mark Steacy-4/1
5. Terrortina-Tony Hall-Norm Parker-12/1
$54,650 Second Elimination
(PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line Odds)
1. Caviart Ally-Andrew McCarthy-Noel Daley-2/1
2. Roaring To Go-Brett Miller-Kevin Lare-5/1
3. Tequila Monday-Brett Miller-Chris Oakes-3/1
4. Ella Christina-Tim Tetrick-Nick Surrick-6/1
5. Zoe Ellasen-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-Ron Potter-8/1
6. Idyllic Beach-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-4/1
(USTA)