Freshman trotters were the focus of attention on Tuesday night at Balmoral Park as American National Stake elimination's for diagonally-gaited fillies and colts were contested.
With a total of 21 fillies dropped into the entry a box, a trio of elimination tussles were scheduled for ladies. The top three finishers in each of the $13,900 preliminaries, along with one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot will get the chance to battle it out next Tuesday for a purse of $97,000.
In the first elimination, Brittany Farms' Musical Mystery benefited from the disqualification of race winner B Nikki to take home the top honors in 1:59.2.
With Mike Lachance in the bike, the homebred daughter of Cantab Hall carved out splits of :30, 1:00.2 and 1:30.4 before grudgingly giving way to B Nikki in the final sixteenth of a mile.
Unfortunately for that filly and her connections, the judges ruled that Campbell had interfered with a first-over Jeansandatshirt, causing her to make a break, while trying to secure racing room in mid-stretch.
After the placing, which saw B Nicki moved from first to fifth, Possess Me was moved up to second while Talkaboutjoy was moved from fourth to third. Jeansandatshirt was moved up to fourth.
Musical Mystery, who is under the guidance of conditioner Ron Gurfein, now sports a record of 1-2-2 through her first five career starts with earnings of $14,420.
There was much less drama in the middle elimination as Perretti Racing Stables' & Black Horse Racing's Starcelona blew by her rivals in the late going to win in 1:58.
Patiently handled by Brent Holland, the homebred daughter of Muscles Yankee was able to save ground for the opening five-eighths of a mile as Sienna Belle rolled through fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28.2.
Moving outside to follow the cover of what had been a pocket sitting Evening Prayer at the top of the lane the Erv Miller-trained miss swept by her foes with a :28.4 final split to earn the victory.
Evening Prayer was second while One Tough Girl was third. Eagle Bette was fourth. Dancing Filly, the 1-2 favourite in the race, made a break just before the start and was never a threat as she wound up sixth in the field of seven.
Fresh off a win in Du Quoin in the Hayes Memorial Starcelona is now 2-0-0 in three lifetime starts with earnings of $33,210.
The final elimination provided the biggest upset of the night as 11-1 outsider Deedees Destiny parlayed a perfect second-over trip into a neck victory in 1:57.
Saving ground while trotting in mid-pack as Tropical Caprice and Wedding Dress took turns on the lead driver Sam Widger moved his filly to the outside after opening splits of :29.4 and :58.1.
With the field beginning to bunch up as the fillies reached the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:27.3 Deedees Destiny was fourth and just three lengths off the leader as the field turned for home.
Setting sail for the wire, the daughter of Muscles Yankee, who was a $30,000 Lexington purchase, picked off one rival after another as she trotted home in :28.4 for her first career victory.
Wedding Dress, another longshot at 18-1 who had been plagued by breaking problems, was able to mind her manners as she turned in a solid effort to finish second. Tropical Caprice held on for third while Fox Valley Strata was fourth.
Under the watchful eye of conditioner John Butenschoen Deedees Destiny now has a record of 1-0-2 in six career starts with earnings of $11,166 for Ken & Jana Rucker.
On the colt side of the docket a total of 19 youngsters were entered splitting the elimination's into a pair of $17,100 battles. The top five finishers in each division will be back next week for the $106,000 final.
The first elimination produced a new track record for a two-year-old gelding trotter as the Illinois-bred Definer came flying through the lane to win by a half-length in 1:57.1. The previous mark of 1:57.2 had been held jointly by Kennans Max (2003) & Vapor Maker (2006).
Using a nice second-over trip, driver Tyler Buter positioned the son of Armbro Tropicana in fourth in as Magic Carpet Ride rolled through splits of :28.4, :59 and 1:28.2.
Tipping three-wide off his cover at the top of the stretch the Ken Collier trainee then uncorked a :28.1 final quarter as he rolled by rivals to win for the sixth time in eight career starts.
Even Better Odds, who provided the live cover for the winner, was a game second while Magic Carpet Ride held on for third. Dr Mcdreamy overcame a miscue in the first turn to finish fourth while entry mate Southwind Tager earned a spot in the final with a fifth-place finish.
With a sparkling record of 6-0-2 in his eight trips postward this year's Darn Safe Stake winner now boasts earnings of $53,530.
The action wrapped up with another track record as the lightly raced, but highly regarded, Swan For All shattered the previous track record for a two-year-old trotting colt with a two-length triumph in 1:56. The old mark had been set in 2007 by Muscle Mass.
Perfectly handled by driver Andy Miller this $300,000 Harrisburg purchase who is a son of Andover Hall left alertly from post four and was on the lead as the field reached the opening station in :29 seconds.
Content to allow a hard charging King Solomon grab control on the backstretch Swan For All was able to save ground while covered up the rest of the way as King Solomon led the way through middle splits of :57.4 and 1:27.4.
Taking advantage of the passing lane the Erv Miller trainee, who had only one previous start, came charging through the inside like a seasoned veteran trotting home in :27.4 to pick up the victory.
King Solomon held on for second while Be Bullish survived a tough first over trip to finish third. Cantabmyway was fourth while the final spot in the final went to fifth place finisher Senator Hall.
Now a perfect two for two in his brief career Swan For All has banked $11,550 for the partnership of John Carver and Mystical Marker Farms.
(Balmoral Park)