O’Brien Award winner Scarlett Hanover was crowned the champion of the 51st edition of the Jugette for three-year-old filly pacers after sweeping both her elimination heat and the $152,280 final in sloppy conditions on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Driver Tim Tetrick and Scarlett Hanover followed the cover of the 2-5 favoured elimination winner, Test Of Faith and David Miller, before overtaking them in a stretch duel to prevail in 1:56 flat. The time of the mile matched her winning time in the elimination heats earlier in the day.
Scarlett Hanover gave trainer Ron Burke a record fourth Jugette victory while stablemate Paulas Bet Hanover finished fourth after setting the pace. Burke’s previous Jugette victories were with Warrawee Ubeaut (2019), Sassa Hanover (2015) and Darena Hanover (2012).
Tetrick joins Yannick Gingras and Eric Ledford as the only drivers with three Jugette victories. Only five-time winner John Campbell has more victories in the historic event. Tetrick last won the Jugette three years ago with 2018 champion Alexas Power and earned his first victory with 2013 winner I Luv The Nitelife.
As the 2021 final got underway on a rainy day in Delaware, the Burke-trained Paulas Bet Hanover (Yannick Gingras) blasted to the lead from post five with outside leaver Nashville Elgenna (Andrew McCarthy) sprinting into the pocket ahead of insiders Test Of Faith and Scarlett Hanover.
Paulas Bet Hanover led the field of eight fillies in single-file fashion through opening fractions of :29 and :58.4 before the action began.
At the midway mark, Miller sent New York Sire Stakes champion Test Of Faith first-up with Ontario Sires Stakes star Scarlett Hanover following her cover second-over and the supplemented Irish-bred filly Oakwoodanabella IR (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) spotted third-over in the outer flow.
Test Of Faith was less than a length off the lead as Paulas Bet Hanover raced past three-quarters in 1:28 with Scarlett Hanover poised to roll three-wide. Turning for home, Test Of Faith and Scarlett Hanover took off in a battle to the wire, with the latter filly prevailing by a half-length. Oakwoodanabella IR finished 3-3/4 lengths behind in third.
"Earlier in the week, Ronnie [Burke] asked me if I wanted to drive her and I'm like 'absolutely!' She's a sweetheart, just like he said she was," said Tetrick, who was partnered with Scarlett Hanover for the first time in the Jugette eliminations and final. "Today, with the weather playing the way it was, she showed up really good both heats and we got a good trip both times.
"The last half of the card, the front end has not been very good at all and I wanted to get away back, and I was hoping one or two [fillies] would take a shot, and it worked out perfect," said Tetrick of his racing strategy. "I got Dave in front of me in third and I kind of forced his issue a little bit when they started to come. I wanted his mare to be out there, even if they didn't go fast, I wanted him to just work a little bit. I went after him at the top lane there and got it done."
With rainy weather overnight and non-stop all day long, Tetrick praised the work of the track crew that allowed racing to continue for today's 20-race card.
"The [racetrack] crew did as good a job as they could do," he said. "There's a lot of rain and it's tough on those guys to get it ready and they has it as good as they could possibly get it."
Scarlett Hanover paid $7.80 to win as the second choice.
The Bettors Delight-Sammys Magic Girl filly, who tops the divisional Ontario Sires Stakes Gold standings with three wins in the series, is now five for 11 on the season. Lifetime, she now boasts 11 wins from 25 starts with earnings soaring to $757,575 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Jandt Silva Purnel & Libb, and Weaver Bruscemi. She is scheduled to return to Canada for her next engagement.
“We are thrilled with her effort today. She was great,” added co-owner Mark Weaver. “A lot of the credit goes to Ed and Ashleigh Hensley, who train some of our horses in Canada. They had her ready and have done a fabulous job with Scarlett Hanover.”
The victory capped off a five-win day for Tetrick.
The top four finishers from a pair of five-horse elimination heats contested earlier on the card comprised the Jugette field. Recaps of the eliminations are below.
2021 Jugette Final Set
O’Brien Award winner Scarlett Hanover and New York Sire Stakes star Test Of Faith captured their respective $50,760 elimination heats for the 51st edition of the Jugette featured today at Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Scarlett Hanover overtook pacesetter Mikala to win the first of two $50,760 elimination heats for the 51st edition of the Jugette featured today at Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Driver Tim Tetrick worked out the winning trip in the first elimination heat aboard the Ron Burke-trained Scarlett Hanover, moving her from third down the backstretch after opening panels of :29.2 and :59.3 to apply pressure to the pacesetting Mikala (George Brennan) as they passed three-quarters in 1:28.1. Scarlett Hanover matched strides with Mikala in a head-to-head battle turning for home before surging ahead down the lane to score by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:56 flat over the sloppy track. Mikala settled for second while the winner’s stablemate, Paulas Bet Hanover (Yannick Gingras), followed in third off a pocket trip. Nashville Elgenna (Andrew McCarthy) finished fourth to advance to the final, with fifth-place Chase Lounge (Tyler Buter) eliminated.
A three-time Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner this season, the Bettors Delight-Sammys Magic Girl filly is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Jandt Silva Purnel & Libb, and Weaver Bruscemi. The win was Scarlett Hanover's 10th lifetime from 24 starts and lifted her career bankroll to $681,435.
Sent postward as the slight second choice to Mikala, she returned $5 to win.
Test Of Faith ($2.60) delivered as the 1/5 public choice in the second $50,769 elimination of the Jugette on Wednesday (Sept. 22).
Second over at Delaware doesn't always work, but Test Of Faith isn't your average three-year-old pacing filly. Going into the Jugette, the daughter of Art Major - Cannae Cammie boasted a 16-for-18 lifetime record. Driver David Miller wasn't concerned with front-end position in the field of five, settling into fourth early while Odds On Whitney (Tim Tetrick) posted early panels of :28.4 and :58.3 over the off going.
At the halfway point, Ronnie Wrenn Jr. tipped Oakwoodanabella IR out from third and Miller followed that cover second over down the backside. Oakwoodanabella IR stuck a neck in front through the 1:27.1 third quarter, with Odds On Whitney staying competitive and Test Of Faith poised to tip three wide around the final turn, but Miller bided his time and angled off Oakwoodanabella's helmet at the top of the stretch. Test Of Faith flew past once receiving clear sailing and hit the wire in 1:55.3. Also advancing to the Jugette final were Oakwoodanabella IR (second), Smothastenesewisky (third for Brett Miller) and Odds On Whitney (fourth).
Trained by Brett Pelling, Test Of Faith now sports a summary of 17-2-0 from 19 lifetime starts with $939,434 in earnings for owners Melvin Segal of Charlotte, N.C., Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Eddie Gran of Lexington, Ky.
The top four finishers from each elimination will return at end of the card to compete in the $152,280 final. The field is listed below in post position order for the final of the Jugette, which is scheduled as Race 20 with an approximate post time of 6:20 p.m.
2021 Jugette Final
1. Test Of Faith (David Miller)
2. Scarlett Hanover (Tim Tetrick)
3. Oakwoodanabella IR (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.)
4. Mikala (George Brennan)
5. Paulas Bet Hanover (Yannick Gingras)
6. Smothastenesewisky (Brett Miller)
7. Odds On Whitney (Scott Zeron)
8. Nashville Elgenna (Andy McCarthy)
The Jugette undercard featured a pair of $45,825 Buckette divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies among other stakes events. Click here for recaps of the highlights.