Pierce Scores A Triple In Bluegrass Stakes

Published: September 24, 2008 10:08 pm EDT

Driver Ron Pierce won six races at The Red Mile on Wednesday afternoon, which included three out of the four $96,600 Bluegrass Stakes divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies.

Warrawee Kay got the party started for Pierce in the first Bluegrass division. The Real Desire – Armbro Wisdom filly became the third new leader past a :27.4 opening quarter and blazed through stanzas of :54.4 and 1:23.3 on the front. The Steve Elliott trainee coasted to the wire under minimal urging to win by a length and a quarter in a career best 1:51.3.

Bob McIntosh trainee West Of La (Steve Condren) offered the most late pace and rallied into second over Campus Cutie (Brian Sears).

Allan Keith owns Warrawee Kay, who has been on fire in Lexington this summer. The $30,000 yearling purchase was a bang-up second in the $300,000 KYSS Final and is now 4-2-0 in seven starts with a bankroll of $155,575. Warrawee Kay’s Dragon Again brother, Warrawee Legend, sells as Hip 648 in Harrisburg.

Precious Stone earned it the hard way by going first-over for driver Mike Lachance in the second split. The Western Ideal – Bewitching Jewell filly sat patiently in fifth for a half mile of :28.1 and :55.2 before racing uncovered up to second at the 1:23.4 three quarters. Precious Stone wrestled the lead away from Up Front Noel (Andrew McCarthey) down the stretch and stayed game to the finish, winning by three quarters of a length in a lifetime best 1:52.3.

Up Front Noel was second best while Thats The Plan (Jody Jamieson) gave trainer Noel Daley a second and third place finish in the mile.

Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman conditions Precious Stone for owner Brittany Farms. With eight starts under her belt, the youngster is 4-2-0 with earnings of $61,422.

Perfectionist received a perfect pocket trip and a little ‘Perfect Pierce Piloting’ in the third tilt. A daughter of Western Ideal – Sounds Perfect, she negotiated a two-hole trip for Pierce, following John Pentland trained and Mike Saftic driven Backstreet Sweetie through panels of :27.3 and :55.4 before vacating the pocket on the way to the 1:24.4 third marker.

Perfectionist grabbed a short deep stretch lead and hung tough to the wire by holding off a slew of challengers to score by a half-length in a career mark of 1:53.2. Backstreet Sweetie stayed for second and Notjustaprettyface (Jody Jamieson) was third.

Trained by Jimmy Takter for owner/breeder Brittany Farms, Perfectionist is 2-2-1 in eight attempts with $86,134 in purses.

Thou Shalt Not converted from second-over to double up in Lexington and give Pierce the Bluegrass hat-trick. The Real Desire – Because I Said So filly left out in sixth at the :28.4 quarter and tracked the cover of Girls Nite Out (John Campbell) past fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.

Pierce unleashed Thou Shalt Not in the stretch and she responded with a :27.2 final kick, winning by two lengths in a lifetime best of 1:52.1. Hawaiian Drink (Mike Saftic), who did most of the roadwork, was second while Shanghai Lil (Dan Shelter Jr.) finished third.

Thou Shalt Not hangs her harness bag in the stable of Erv Miller for owners John Carver, Mystical Marker Farms LLC and Louis Willinger. In 11 starts, the filly is 2-2-3 with earnings of $98,213.

Pierce also won on the card with Red Carpet Look (1:59.2), Highland Ridge (1:59.4) and Southern Jade (1:56).

To view the complete results from the USTA, click here.

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