After a world record performance in her opening-heat elimination, Party Girl Hill came back and was utterly flawless in the $142,635 final of the 50th Jugette, which capped off a stakes-packed program at Ohio's Delaware County Fair on Wednesday (Sept. 23).
Trained by Chris Ryder and driven by Dexter Dunn, Party Girl Hill extended her career unbeaten streak to 11 with the victory, which was clocked in 1:50.3. The win pushed Party Girl Hill's career bankroll to $629,470 for her breeder/owner, Tom Hill, of Lancashire, England.
Although Party Girl Hill went unraced as a two-year-old, the wait has definitely been worth it for Hill, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday (on Saturday, Sept. 19). Party Girl Hill's win in the 2020 Jugette comes 10 years after Western Silk got the job done for Hill in the 2010 Jugette. Western Silk's win had helped Hill ring in his 60th birthday. Now, 10 years later, Hill's unblemished Captaintreacherous filly has delivered quite the belated 70th birthday gift.
Party Girl Hill had thrown down the gauntlet earlier in the day when she cruised to a 1:49.3 world-record win in her opening-heat elimination. When she zipped to the lead later in the afternoon during the $142,635 final, it was simply game over for her competition.
Dunn lined Party Girl Hill up in Post 1 and was soon on top in the 50th edition of the half-mile classic for three-year-old pacing fillies. The quarter was cut in 27 seconds and Party Girl Hill would go on to lead the field to the half-mile point in :55.4.
Party Girl was not just handed the 2020 Jugette, though, as Peaky Sneaky (who was driven by Scott Zeron) came calling first over in the back half while New Year (Joe Bongiorno) kept tabs from the pocket. Party Girl Hill tripped the three-quarters clock in 1:23.4 and didn't give up the lead the rest of the way.
Party Girl Hill, pictured winning the 2020 Jugette with driver Dexter Dunn.
When all was said and done, Party Girl Hill paced effortlessly through the lane and went on to stop the clock in 1:50.3.
"We're thrilled to have her and she runs the show. She makes it look easy," victorious trainer Ryder told Roger Huston during a post-race interview. "Many thanks to Tom Hill for giving me such a great horse, and many thanks to Dexter Dunn."
Dunn, who had a tremendous day himself, had nothing but praise for Party Girl Hill, and expressed nothing but appreciation for the opportunity that Ryder and Hill have presented him with.
"I had a lucky day," Dunn, who won six races during the card, said modestly. "I got to drive some really nice horses, and she (Party Girl Hill) was a great cap to the day. She's just a tremendous filly."
In addition to steering Party Girl Hill to a pair of wins in the 2020 Jugette, he also drove the Jugette's other preliminary-heat winner, New Year, to victory earlier in the card.
In speaking of Party Girl Hill, Dunn raved that the bay "is definitely the best female pacer I've ever sat behind. She's exciting, that's for sure..... It's just the way she's done it. She went two heats today without the plugs being pulled."
In addition to the Jugette, the fair's Wednesday program featured multiple divisions of the Buckette, the Standardbred, the Ohio Breeders Championship and the Ohio Fair Racing Conference. Trot Insider kept an eye on the action as it unfolded, and recaps of some of the other notable stakes races appear further down this page.
World Record For Party Girl Hill In Opening-Heat Jugette Elimination
The Chris Ryder-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven Party Girl Hill was in world-record form during the second of the Jugette's opening-heat eliminations. The undefeated daughter of Captaintreacherous geared up in the back half of the mile and paced to the wire in 1:49.3, which was a new world record for three-year-old pacing fillies on a half-mile track.
Lyons Sentinel (Tim Tetrick), who was game on the front end, finished a very respectable second. Perfect Storm (David Miller) finished third off of a forwardly-placed trip. Lady Lou (Scott Zeron), who had raced second-over through the back half, finished fourth and also advanced to the final.
Lyons Sentinel was in charge early, as she left hard and led the field past the quarter (:27.1) and half (:56). Dunn tipped Party Girl Hill out from third early in the back half of the mile, and was right up with Lyons Sentinel by the time the three-quarters clocking flashed in 1:23.
Lyons Sentinel and Party Girl Hill slugged it out for a bit as they straightened for home, but it was Party Girl Hill that had the mojo going in the homestretch. The Tom Hill-bred and owned Party Girl Hill continued to roll through the stretch, as she edged past her foe and tallied the impressive win.
After having gone unraced as a two-year-old, Party Girl Hill is now unbeaten through 10 lifetime starts. Her career earnings currently sit at $558,153.
New Year Captures Her Opening-Heat Jugette Elimination
The Chris Ryder-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven New Year went to the top early and held off all comers in the first of the Jugette's opening-heat eliminations in 1:52. Peaky Sneaky (Scott Zeron) was fresh late and came on to finish second, while Blazin Grace (David Miller) applied late pressure, but had to settle for third.
New Year, a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, was game from the word 'go.' She protected her Post 1 starting position and refused to give up the lead in the first quarter, which she eventually clicked off in a sharp :26.2. Dunn was able to get a soft second quarter into New Year, as the field allowed the leader to stroll down to the half in :56.
The outer flow then started from the rear of the field, and New Year kept tabs on Blazin Grace, who had launched overland along the backstretch and was advancing through three quarters, which was recorded in 1:24.2.
New Year had enough left in the tank to deal with her rivals in the final quarter. Blazin Grace fought valiantly on the outside, but couldn't erase the deficit. Peaky Sneaky, who had taken a pocket trip through the fractions, had late pace and got up for second. Blazin Grace had to settle for third with Keystone Eureka fourth and advancing to the final.
Courtesy of the win in her opening-leg heat, New Year, who is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC, has now won two of her nine seasonal starts and six of 15 races over the course of her career.
After the eliminations were in the books, the draw took place for the $142,635 final of the 2020 Jugette. The draw results appear below.
2020 Jugette Final (Second Heat)
Race 18 ($142,635)
(Post - Horse - Driver)
1 - Party Girl Hill - Dexter Dunn
2 - New Year - Joe Bongiorno
3 - Lyons Sentinel - Tim Tetrick
4 - Peaky Sneaky - Scott Zeron
5 - Perfect Storm - David Miller
6 - Blazin Grace - Chris Page
7 - Keystone Eureka - Aaron Merriman
8 - Lady Lou - Brett Miller
Earlier in the card, it didn't take long for the world record book to get rewritten, as the Ron Burke-trained and Chris Page-driven Its Academic was dominant in Race 2, which was a $48,421 division of the Ohio Breeders Championship for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Page and the Uncle Peter colt went to the top early, cut the fractions (:28.2, :57, 1:25.2), and trotted home in :27.4. Its Academic's win time of 1:53.1 lowered Action Uncle's 1:53.2 world record for a three-year-old trotting colt on a half-mile track. Its Academic is currently owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, W.J. Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, and the Hatfield Stables.
The first $41,100 division of the Buckette for three-year-old trotting fillies faced the gate for Race 3, and it was the Nancy Takter-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven Caviart Eva that got the job done with a 1:54 mile for breeder/owner Caviart Farms. Dunn and the Trixton filly left out from Post 3 and secured a pocket ride through the fractions (:28.1, :57.1, 1:25.4). Dunn called on his charge headed for home, and Caviart Eva responded with trot and was well within herself at the wire. The victory was the filly's fourth win from 10 starts this season and was the fifth victory of the lass' 19-race career.
The Jason McGinnis-trained and Anthony MacDonald-driven My Jazz made the lead early and played catch me if you can in Race 4, which was a $52,921 Ohio Breeders Championship division for two-year-old trotting fillies. MacDonald and the My MVP bay dictated the tempo through the fractions (:28.1, :58.4, 1:27.3) and came home first under the wire in 1:58. The $6,500 yearling purchase has now won three of her eight races and banked $117,560 for owners Thestable My Jazz Group, which is based out of Guelph, Ont.
The second $41,100 division of the Buckette for three-year-old trotting fillies went to post for Race 5, and it was the Richard 'Nifty' Norman-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven Spoiled Princess that took a front-end journey to the wire in 1:55.2. The brown Trixton filly fired out from the outside Post 6, cut all of the fractions (:28.4, :58.3, 1:27.3) and held off her foes in the stretch for the convincing victory. Spoiled Princess has now won three of her nine seasonal starts and six of 18 overall for her breeder/owners Robert McNerney and Hauser Bros Rcng Ent LLC.
The world record book was under assault again in Race 8, which was a $96,842 division of the Ohio Breeders Championship for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. The Virgil Morgan Jr.-trained and Brett Miller-driven Action Uncle moved to the front early and trotted off to a win in 1:52.4. The time lowered Its Academic's short-lived 1:53.1 world record, which had just been recorded earlier in the program. Miller and Action Uncle left hard from Post 2, released a rival to the lead and then retook the point in the vicinity of the :27.4 quarter pole. Miller and his charge led the rest of the way, cut the fractions in :55.3 and 1:24.4, and then opened up more daylight in the final panel. Action Uncle has won eight of his nine races this year and 11 of 15 overall. Action Uncle is owned by Carl Howard, Joyce McClelland, and Larry Wills.
The Standardbred for two-year-old pacing fillies took to the track for Race 12, and it was the Daniel Snyder-trained and Mike Wilder-driven Fighting Evil that captured the $39,406 dash in 1:54.2. Wilder and the daughter of Sweet Low got away second from Post 4, but quickly looped to the lead in the vicinity of the :27.4 quarter-mile indicator. From there, Fighting Evil went on to cut the middle half (:58, 1:26.4) before firing home in :27.4 for the win. The $12,000 yearling purchase has now won four of her eight starts and banked $81,023 for owners Danielle Snyder and Jason Ash. In the Standardbred division for rookie trotting fillies, carded as Race 16, Treasure Gems K broke maiden with a 1:59 victory over Josh Joshing and Gothic Girl. Chris Page drove the daughter of Encore Encore for owner-breeder Robert Key and trainer Paul Reid.