The freshmen trotting stakes continued on Wednesday night at Balmoral Park with a full field of 10 diagonally-gaited two-year-old fillies sloshing postward in the $50,650 Violet Stake.
The daylong rains and chilly conditions did nothing to dampen the spirits of Sandbur Farms & Doug Hamilton's Tropical Caprice as she splashed home with a thrilling head decision in 2:00.3 over a sloppy track.
Kept well off the early proceedings after drawing post position 10 driver Dave Magee had the daughter of Armbro Tropicana-Iceaprice in ninth as Princessfancyfeet (Jamaica Patton) and Fox Valley Lover (Dale Hiteman) battled through an opening quarter of 29.1.
Heading down the backstretch Fox Valley Lover cleared to the top and was firmly in control as she led the field to the halfway station in 58.2.
Joining a developing outer flow as the field moved around the final turn Tropical Caprice had worked her way up to sixth while trotting fourth over as Fox Valley Lover continued to show the way by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:30.2.
In the lane a determined Fox Valley Lover continued to show the way. A first over bid from Fox Valley Strata (Tyler Buter) began to stall as Queen Creek (Dean Magee) and Tropical Caprice took aim from the back of the pack.
Trotting home powerfully the Doug Hamilton trainee finally collared the stubborn pacesetter in the closing yards and then held off the late rush of Overt (Josh Sutton) who came flying up the passing lane to just miss. Fox Valley Lover held on for third.
Trying to put a lock on what has been a wide open division throughout most of the year Tropical Caprice now sports a record of five wins, four seconds and five thirds in 15 starts with earnings of $113,349. The third choice in the wagering returned $7.80, $3.60 & $3.20.
To view results from Balmoral, click here.
(Balmoral Park)