Western Silk Wins Jugette In Straight Heats

Tom Hill and Casie Coleman's Western Silk captured the 2010 edition of the Jugette in straight heats Wednesday, September 22 at Ohio's Delaware County Fair

grounds after winning the $169,632 second heat in 1:53.1.

"It's pretty sweet just to win this race, let alone own half of her," Coleman, who also trains Western Silk, told Roger Huston afterward in a winner's circle interview. "She's an unbelievable filly, and she proved it here today."

After having triumphed in her opening-heat elimination in 1:52.1, the three-year-old daughter of Ontario-based sire Western Terror started from Post 1 in the second heat.

Mark MacDonald opted to take harness racing's newest millionaire off the gate, and as the wings folded, the duo raced in fourth position into the first turn. After having started from Post 2, fellow opening-heat winner Rock N Soul (driven by Yannick Gingras) led the field of eight to the opening quarter in :28.4.

MacDonald bided his time with his mount during the second quarter, but angled the career winner of 15 races out into the outer flow just before Rock N Soul tripped the opening half-mile timer in a rated :57.4.

Western Silk came at the leader with a rush in the third panel. She overtook Rock N Soul on the final turn and cleared to the pylons in the vicinity of the 1:25.3 three-quarters pole. Sealing the deal with a :27.3 final quarter-mile, Western Silk hit the wire first, much to the liking of a vocal and supportive contingent in the grandstand.

"My biggest concern was if they went too slow off early fractions because 'Silk' loves chasing horses down," Coleman explained afterward, "but when Mark got out in the first-over path, he was just rating her race until it was time to tell her 'let's go.' When he told her to rattle, she rattled."

When asked whether he was pleased or not concerning his position heading into the opening turn, MacDonald said that it was all part of the plan.

"Yeah, I was," he said. "I didn't want to be in the two hole. It sounds kind of weird, but I thought she (Western Silk) was the best. I was hoping they would go nice and slow and that I'd be able to rate my own race first-over because she's just so fast for a piece. I thought that if I could keep her in contention that she would be able to out-sprint them."

And out-sprint them she did.

Western Silk held off a game Dancinwiththestarz, who, with Brian Sears aboard, closed with a determined three-wide rush from the backfield, but ran out of real estate in the lane and finished second. Another backfield closer, Seriously, driven by Jody Jamieson, also made a spirited late bid, but settled for third.

Rock N Soul finished fourth and Dancin Barefoot fifth.

Western Silk Takes Jugette Elim, Field Set for Final

As expected, Western Silk delivered on her 1-5 post time odds and won the second $56,544 Jugette elimination heat for driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Casie Coleman

.

Dan Dube hustled Dancin Barefoot to the lead from the rail position with Western Silk settling for fourth along the rail through a :27.4 opening panel. Around the three-eighths mark, Doug McNair tipped Dance Until Dawn out from third to challenge the pacesetter with MacDonald following that cover to stalk second over as the field passed the half in :56.1.

The fillies bunched up on the backside with Dancin Barefoot and Dance Until Dawn two-stepping in tandem. Eventually Dance Until Dawn managed a half-length lead just past the 1:23.4 third panel with Dancin Barefoot dead game on the rail. MacDonald sensed his time to move was the on the turn and tipped three wide. When the field hit the stretch, MacDonald flipped the switch with Western Silk and she responded with a brisk brush to the front and was clear by two lengths at the wire in 1:52.1.

Dancin Barefoot nosed out Dance Until Dawn for the place with Full Picture (Ron Pierce) finishing fourth after a ground-saving steer.

"She's a very nice filly, she's very special," commented MacDonald after the win. "She faced some of the best in the Fan Hanover and beat them. She's one of the fastest horses for a piece I've ever driven."

There were questions of how Western Silk was steering as it looked like MacDonald and Western Silk almost went into the four-path around the final turn.

"I left her in an open bridle when she flipped off cover, I was trying to get her to go slow and she wanted to go fast," said MacDonald. "She felt really good, I just hopes she takes the two trips well. She's got a huge set of lungs, I've never seen her get tired."

"She's a driver's horse, she's push button and you can go any way you want with her. When you pull the blinds and plugs with her, you better have clearance."

Western Silk (Western Terror - Extemporaneous) now has seven wins in nine starts for trainer and co-owner Coleman, who co-owns with Tom Hill of Great Britain.

North American Season's Mark For Rock N Soul In First Opening-Heat Elim

Three-year-old Rocknroll Hanover filly Rock N Soul recorded a wire-to-wire, North American season's best 1:52 mile when she won the first opening-heat elimination of the Jugette Wednesday afternoon at Ohio's Delaware County Fairground.

Pilot Yannick Gingras fired the Ron Burke pupil out from Post 4, and the duo got out to the lead before the :27.2 opening quarter. Both A And Gs Princess and Dancinwiththestarz broke stride on the first turn.

Rock N Soul cut the opening half-mile in :56 and clicked off the three-quarters timer in 1:24.1. She came home with a :27.4 final quarter to seal the deal.

Seriously, driven by Jody Jamieson for trainer Tony O'Sullivan, came first-up in the back half of the mile and made Rock N Soul earn it in the lane before finishing second. Dancinwiththestarz, who had Brian Sears in the racebike, rebounded from the early miscue, mounted a three-wide move as the field turned for home, and eventually finished third. Berschet finished fourth.

"We only got her about six starts ago and she's been really good except for the one [race] at Chester. We knew that she had issues going into that race, though. Other than that, we came in confident to this race," Burke said afterward. "Brian's horse may be a little bit better, but we were two post positions inside of him. If he was going to get around us, it was going to be full bore for him to do so."

Burke went on to say, "She's a little lazy on the front-end, and she will only race who comes to her. Even when Jody eyeballed her I wasn't that worried. I don't think she'll get beat by someone grinding by her. If you're going to go by her, you're going to have to fly by her and catch her before she starts to fight."

Previous to Rock N Soul's performance, the North American season's mark for a three-year-old filly over a half-mile track had bee recorded by Ticket To Rock in 1:52.3 over Freehold Raceway on August 28.

Here's the field in post order for the $169,623 Jugette Final.

1. Western Silk (5-2)
2. Rock N Soul (4-1)
3. Dancin Barefoot (7-2)
4. Seriously (6-1)
5. Dancinwiththestarz (2-1)
6. Dance Until Dawn (6-1)
7. Berschet (15-1)
8. Full Picture (8-1)

North American Season's Mark For Costa Rica In Buckette

Costa Rica took early control of the $98,025 Buckette Wednesday afternoon at the Ohio's Delaware County Fairgrounds and refused to relinquish the lead

. The three-year-old daughter of Muscles Yankee trotted to a North American seasonal best 1:56 victory for driver Ron Pierce and trainer Jimmy Takter.

The millionaire filly started from Post 6 and wanted the lead. After having raced overland on the first turn, Pierce crossed his mount over to the pylons prior to the :28.3 opening quarter and Costa Rica did all the work the rest of the way.

The millionaire cut the opening half-mile in :58.2 and the opening three quarters of the mile in 1:27.1. Having fended off challenges in the final quarter, Pierce and his mount trotted home in :28.4 for the open-length victory.

"She raced a good race. She wasn't really as good as she was up in Canada," Takter explained. "She looked a little bumpy to me in the straightaway. There's probably something that was bothering her today."

Driven by Brian Sears, Full Tank ($6.80, $4.40) finished second after having taken a pocket ride in the mile. Driven by John Campbell, Up Front Juansteen ($3.40) snared the 'show dough' and bottomed out a $92.60, 6-4-2 triactor after having raced first-up in the back half of the mile.

Takter trains Costa Rica for his wife, Christina, of East Windsor, New Jersey, and Jim and John Fielding of Toronto, Ont.

Previous to the Buckette, the North American season's mark for a three-year-old trotting filly over a half-mile track was 1:56.1, recorded by Munis Blue Chip over Saratoga on August 4.

Hall N Flori Sets Track, Stakes, North American Season's Record In Standardbred Division

Hall N Flori and Pacific Splash captured divisions of Wednesday’s $63,100 Standardbred Two-Year-Old Filly Trot in record-breaking fashion.

Hall N Flori set track and stakes records in winning her division in 1:58.3. The Broadway Hall filly broke Anamosa Hanover’s stakes standard of 1:59.1 set in 1987 and erased Kindava Hush’s track mark of 1:59. Hall N Flori also recorded the fastest mile of the season by a juvenile trotting filly over a half-mile track.

The victory for owner Dean Davis of Wooster, Ohio was the filly’s fourth win in eight starts. Yannick Gingras fired off at the start and never trailed, beating Swing Anna Cash and Cheetah Hall. Kent Sherman is the trainer.

Pacific Splash, driven by Charlie Norris, also broke Anamosa Hanover’s stakes record with a 1:59 clocking, coming off the pace to win. The victory for Robert Key’s American Winner filly ended a two-month losing streak. Jogging Home finished second and Final Tab Hanover third.

(With files from the Little Brown Jug)