Harness racing's top three-year-old trotters converged at The Red Mile Sunday afternoon for their turn in the Bluegrass Series spotlight. Cee Bee Yes turned in a dazzling world record performance while Jimmy Takter trainees swept the rest of the divisions.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Cee Bee Yes became the fastest sophomore trotting filly in the history of harness racing as she collared former record holder Lifetime Pursuit at the wire in 1:50.2 to kick off Sunday's Bluegrass stakes.
Firing off the gate from the outside post seven, Cooler Schooner (David Miller) established the lead through a :27.4 opening panel in the first of two $86,700 filly divisions. Meanwhile, driver Scott Zeron was able to settle post six starter Cee Bee Yes into the pocket spot ahead of 1-9 favourite Lifetime Pursuit (Yannick Gingras).
Cooler Schooner led the strung out field through a blistering half in :53.2 (:25.3) before Lifetime Pursuit edged out from third. The three-quarters mark was reached in 1:21.4.
Lifetime Pursuit, who began her six race win streak back in the Hambletonian Oaks with a 1:50.4 world record performance, took over the lead at the head of the stretch while Cooler Schooner broke stride shortly after.
Lifetime Pursuit opened up a couple lengths on top, but Cee Bee Yes came storming home and eventually edged by in the final strides. Heavens Door (Ake Svanstedt) recovered from a miscue at the start of the race to finish third, five lengths behind.
Overlooked at the betting windows at odds of 56-1, Cee Bee Yes returned a whopping $115.40 to win.
"I didn't expect her to be the fastest of all time, but I knew the race would set up with fast fractions and she's a very tough filly," said Andy Miller, husband of trainer Julie Miller. "Scott did a good job getting her into the race and he was patient and he got her home."
Jason and Douglas Allen's Muscles Yankee-Enbeecee filly is expected to retire at the end of the season to become a broodmare.
Heavy 1-2 favourite Shake It Cerry dominated her rivals in the final division of the day, drawing away by open-lengths to an easy victory in 1:51.2 for trainer Jimmy Takter.
Scream And Shout (Brett Miller) fired out to the lead off the gate with My Inspiration (Corey Callahan) dropping into the pocket spot through a :27.2 first quarter. As My Inspiration settled in line, Ron Pierce sent Shake It Cerry to the top from third and never looked back. They hit the half in :55.1 and began to open up en route to three-quarters in 1:23.2. Down the stretch, Shake It Cerry accelerated away to the five length victory. Chivaree Hanover (Tim Tetrick) and My Inspiration finished second and third, respectively.
"The filly just took me around there on her own. I just sat there. I was just a passenger," commented Pierce after the win. "I was saying 'whoa girl, whoa girl' and she was thinking I was saying 'go girl, go girl.' I could have let her trot and easily broke the world record, but I didn't see any sense in it. We have the Breeders Crown coming up and we have the Futurity next week. There's still some major races for her so I figured I'd try to keep her within herself as much has I could. I think she could trot better than 1:50 myself. I really do, she's that special."
Solveigs Racing Partners' talented Donato Hanover-Solveig filly is now 10-for-12 on the season.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts
Delivering on his 1-5 pari-mutuel promise, Nuncio took over command down the stretch and left his rivals in the dust to score a career-best 1:50.4 triumph in the first $94,100 division for colts.
Nuncio's winning time was just three-fifths of a second off Donato Hanover and Muscle Hill's world record for sophomore trotting colts and geldings.
Hillustrious (Yannick Gingras) left alertly from post four and established the lead over Damfoolrmillionair (Tim Tetrick) through a :27.4 first quarter. However, Datsyuk (Charlie Norris) made a move early on, sweeping up from third to take over command and reaching the half in :54.4.
At the midway mark, driver John Campbell edged Nuncio out from fourth with the backfield moving underway. As they began to advance, Hillustrious pulled back out from the pocket for the retake.
Hillustrious passed three-quarters in 1:23.3 with Nuncio in pursuit. The favourite trotted by with an eighth of a mile to go and quickly opened up six lengths for his seventh win of the season. Hillustrious stayed for second and Mr Lindy (Scott Zeron) came on for third.
"Before if you started him up at the gate you couldn't stop him, but his manners have gotten so much better and he relaxes in a hole," noted Campbell after the race. "They were going lots on the front so when I did move him he trotted up there comfortably and he trotted home well within himself when I asked him.
"I knew he would get up close to the lead the third quarter without using him too hard. I've got a lot of confidence in him. If he's not used too hard to the three-quarter pole he's going to give you a real good run through the stretch. He felt strong there and actually the cover [when Hillustrious pulled back out] helped him a little bit. He had a few steps more of cover, but I was pretty sure coming off the turn for home that he was going to win."
Owned by Stall Tz Inc., the millionaire son of Andover Hall and Nicole Isabelle has not finished worse than second in his 12 stakes starts this year, defeated only by fellow Jimmy Takter stablemates Father Patrick and Trixton.
Nuncio will hook up with Father Patrick again in next Sunday's Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile and Campbell is hoping he can pull off the upset.
"I think it will happen one of these times," he said. "My horse races good every time, he just hasn't been able to beat Father Patrick. There's a reason for that, Father Patrick is a great horse, but I'm still hopeful before the end of the year that he'll get it done one of these races."
Father Patrick appeared to be out for a Sunday stroll in his $93,100 division as he toured The Red Mile in a matching 1:50.4 clocking.
The race served as a tune up for the overwhelming 1-9 favourite, who had the inside advantage and faced just four other starters after two scratches, all sent to post at odds of 15-1 or higher.
Lightning Force (David Miller) left hard from the outside to get a jump start on Father Patrick, but the Canadian Trotting Classic champion easily bypassed him after a :28.1 opening quarter. He then cruised through middle splits of :56 and 1:23.3 and drew off down the stretch under no urging from driver Yannick Gingras to the four and a half length victory. Lightning Force followed in second and Martiniwithmuscle (Ivan Davies) trotted home in third.
"He's one of a kind," said Takter in the winner's circle. "I've never been around a horse even close to this guy."
With 20 wins in 23 career starts, the Cantab Hall-Gala Dream colt is quickly approaching the $2 million earnings mark for his connections from the Father Patrick Stable.
Takter also had nothing but praise for Nuncio and his determination.
"I got to give that horse [Nuncio] a lot of credit," he added. "He's been chasing this horse [Father Patrick] for over two years and he's still keeping his spirit up. He's a fantastic horse."
Live racing will resume on Thursday, October 2 with the $300,000 International Stallion Series for two-year-old filly trotters. The entry box will be open until 9:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, September 29. Post time for that card is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT.