Breeders Crown hopeful Triumphant Caviar turned in a track record performance Saturday night, September 25 at Indiana Downs. The son of SJs Caviar captured the $100,000 Pride In Progress for free-for-all trotters in impressive fashion, stopping the clock in 1:53.1
. The Chris Beaver-trained four-year-old distanced the competition by nine and one-half lengths at the wire.
Starting from the outside in a compact field of six, driver Luc Ouellette got away fourth with Triumphant Caviar at the start as favourite Hot Shot Blue Chip made a break shortly after the gate folded. Rompaway Beau set the early tempo, reaching the quarter in :27.1 before ABC Mercedes and Joe Putnam reached the top racing to the half in :57.
A strong headwind greeting horses up the backstretch didn’t appear to impact Triumphant Caviar. The second choice moved first up and was in control as the field reached three-quarters in 1:25.4. Turning for home, Ouellette and Triumphant Caviar kicked to the wire on the strength of a :27.2 final quarter.
“My horse is good on the outside. He loves to have a target,” Ouellette commented afterwards. “This horse hasn’t raced bad all year. He gives an honest effort every time. This was a good race for him going into the Breeders Crown.”
Owned by Ouellette in partnership with Kerry Beaver, James Gallagher and Paul Bernard of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., Triumphant Caviar earned his sixth seasonal win. The victory pushed his 2010 earnings to $184,400. The time shaved two-fifths of a second off the track record for stallion trotters, set last season by Claudius Augustus.
The Pride In Progress was one of five stakes races offered Saturday at Indiana Downs. The other featured contests included the $190,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stake and $200,000 Oliver Trotting Classic.
Breeders Crown eligible So Perfect used a :27.4 final panel to dash to a one and one-quarter length victory in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stake in 1:56.1. Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Dave Palone, the Western Ideal filly pushed ahead of leader Foxy Lady, with Mystical MJ closing late for third. So Perfect, half of a Brittany Farms entry, went off at 6-1.
Thats For Real and Peter Wrenn took control of the 12-horse field at the start, posting a :27.4 opening quarter as favourite In Deep Thought made a break from the second tier. Foxy Lady and Ricky Macomber Jr. moved to the top and clicked off fractions of :57.2 and 1:27.2 as Power Of Presence and Modern Connection led the challenge on the outside. Racing seventh and in the outer flow, Palone swept four-wide in the stretch with So Perfect and reeled in the leaders in the stretch.
“We had a tough spot with the nine hole and a couple of the fillies didn’t want to get away,” Palone explained. “With the wind tonight you want to keep your horse buried as long as you can. Coming off the turn I had the leaders in my sight.”
The victory was the second seasonal score for So Perfect. Bred by Brittany Farms, the filly increased her bankroll to $212,151.
Powerful Speed and Josh Sutton moved three-wide turning for home and closed fastest of all to win the $200,000 Oliver Trotting Classic in 1:55.4. Sent off at odds of 9-1, the Powerful Emotion homebred finished two and one-quarter lengths in front of Pretty Boy Lindy and Palone. Kashs Caviar raced third while Il Villaggio, making his sophomore debut, broke stride early in the mile and finished eighth.
“I drove this horse as a two year old and he was a real nice colt then,” Sutton noted. “When I tipped him I knew he could get there.”
Seventh on the outside through a :58.4 opening half, Sutton made his move as the field reached three-quarters in 1:27.2. In the stretch, Powerful Speed overtook Pretty Boy Lindy and marched on to victory. Trained by “Buzz” Graham, Powerful Speed earned his sixth win of the season. The victory pushed his career bankroll to $260,451.
Erv Miller pupils Power Of A Moment and Iam Bonasera swept both $35,000 Circle City divisions for sophomore colt pacers. Favoured Power Of A Moment and Marcus Miller claimed the first split by three parts of a length in 1:53.4. Dave Magee late guided Iam Bonasera to a three and one-quarter length win in 1:52.1.
Peter Wrenn piloted favourite Mystic Desire to a 1:53.2 victory in the first of two $75,000 Elevation divisions Saturday evening. The victory was the fifth in eight starts for the Real Desire colt owned by Let It Ride Stables, Robert Cooper Stables and Angie Nessa. Playin For Keeps and Tyler Buter scored a 1:55.2 victory in the second division, winning by a quarter length. Tabbed as the favourite, the Cole Muffler gelding collected his third win of the season for trainer Nick Giberson.
(With files from Indiana Downs)