Western Ideal lass Good News Lady broke her seasonal maiden at an opportune time this afternoon at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, taking the first heat of the Jugette for three-year-old fillies in 1:53.1.
After leaving from Post 3 with pilot Greg Grismore, Good News Lady was part of a four-wide cavalry charge for the lead. Good News Lady persisted, gunning to the front past the :26.2 opening quarter mile.
Grismore was able to rate a 29-second quarter before the half, passing the marker in :55.2. The tempo forced Tim Tetrick aboard Thong first up in the second quarter.
Rolling through the third quarter in :28.3, Grismore and Good News Lady repelled the challenge of Tetrick and Thong, but had to fend off pocket sitter Dreamlands Latte (steered by David Miller) the rest of the way. Finding grit late, Grismore and his charge held on for the win, roughly a half-length, after putting in a final quarter of :29.1.
Dreamlands Latte finished second, Thong third, Cartniverous fourth, and Sprig Hanover -- who was three-wide in the third quarter -- finished fifth.
Good News Lady - Jugette Heat #1
"That's he first time I've had her on the front end, and that may be the first time this year that she's been on the front end," Grismore said in a trackside interview with the Little Brown Jug broadcast crew.
"We thought here at Delaware, with the short stretch and a half-mile track, that we'd have to be up towards the front. I didn't know if I would be on the front, but I knew that I wanted to be on the front or in the two hole, and it worked out that way.
"She raced good. She raced game right through the wire. She's getting better and better every week, and hopefully we'll get one more here."
"She's a difficult type of filly because she is the type that likes to hunt," said victorious trainer Jimmy Takter. "When she gets up front she gets a little insecure about herself, but if she has horses in front of her, she will follow them very well."
Ideal Morning was scratched from the first heat.
There was a judges' inquiry after the first heat, but the judges declared that it did not affect the top four finishers.
The post positions for the second heat appear below.
Post - Horse
1 - Good News Lady
2 - Dreamlands Latte
3 - Thong
4 - Cartniverous
5 - Sprig Hanover
6 - Miss Scarlett
7 - Up Front Bethann
8 - Pavla Hanover
9 - Im A Native Too