When it comes to online purchases, Spoiled Princess looks like a royal buy. The three-year-old trotting filly is a nose from being undefeated in three races for trainer Nancy Takter since her father, Jimmy, acquired the horse for $90,400 last month in an onGait.com auction.
On Saturday, she will race in the $500,000 Breeders Crown final for three-year-old trotting fillies at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Spoiled Princess heads to the race off of a 1:53 win in her elimination this past Friday, when she defeated favourite Hypnotic AM by a neck.
“It’s 2020, the year of COVID-19, and everybody learned to shop online,” Takter said, adding with a laugh. “Even Jimmy Takter learned how to buy horses online.”
Jimmy Takter, the Hall of Famer who retired from training following the 2018 season, and happens to be the winningest trainer in Breeders Crown history with 34 trophies, was interested in Spoiled Princess as a broodmare prospect. Five days before she sold online, Spoiled Princess won a division of the Buckette Stakes at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio. Nancy Takter was at the track that day, watching her stable’s Caviart Eva win the other division.
“He called me and asked about her,” Nancy Takter said. “He was really looking for a mare that he could breed to Ready For Moni later, that would cross well with Ready For Moni. She looked good, a nice-gaited filly, a nice big strong-looking filly. I knew she was sound. I didn’t see where you could go wrong with buying her.”
Jimmy Takter made the buy, with Black Horse Racing’s Barry Guariglia. The filly now races for Black Horse Racing and Christina Takter. Since joining her new group, Spoiled Princess finished second by a nose to stablemate Sorella in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes, won a three-year-old filly open, and captured her Breeders Crown elimination.
For her career, Spoiled Princess has won eight of 21 races and $171,136. The daughter of Trixton-Fashion Spooner was trained previously by Richard 'Nifty' Norman.
Spoiled Princess will start the Breeders Crown final from Post 5 with driver Dexter Dunn.
“She was in really good shape when she got to me; she was sound and a well-mannered filly,” Nancy Takter said. “She’s beautifully gaited. We just made some bridle changes and stuff like that, and I put her on lasix. She’s maybe a little fresher than some of the other ones now. That plays to her advantage, as well.”
Spoiled Princess is one of three finalists for Takter. Her others are Sorella, the Hambletonian Oaks winner, and Caviart Eva. Sorella finished third, beaten by a half length, in Spoiled Princess’ elim. Caviart Eva was fourth in the other elimination, which was won by Next Level Stuff in 1:53.4.
“I was happy with both of them,” Takter said. “'Eva' is a game, honest filly. She’s really an overachiever. She tries really hard. You can’t help but like her. I was happy with Sorella, too. She’s not really as much of a sprinter as maybe 'Princess' is. I think she raced good. She raced with shoes and she’s better without shoes. She’ll race without shoes in the final. She’s been good all year. It’s tough to maintain your form from May to November.”
Next Level Stuff rallied to win her elimination by a neck over tempo-setting Absattitudexpress. She has won three of her last four races for trainer Jim Campbell and owner Runthetable Stables. Her only loss during that span was a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Filly Futurity.
She will start the final from Post 1 with driver Tim Tetrick. For the year, the daughter of Sebastian K S-Nantab has won six of 12 races and $231,361.
“I couldn’t be happier with her, the way she’s been going,” Campbell said. “She’s been very consistent all year long. She had a real good race the other night and hopefully we can keep her going for the final.
“She was really good in the Kentucky (Filly) Futurity final, she just had some bad racing luck. She was pinned in and didn’t get out until late. But she raced really good there and she took advantage of a good trip Friday at Hoosier.”
Absattitudexpress, trained by Lucas Wallin, and Hypnotic AM, trained by Marcus Melander, will start the Breeders Crown final next to each other, in Post 6 and 7, respectively.
“I was very happy with how 'Ab’s raced and she never gave up,” Wallin said. “With an eighth of a mile left it looked like she would get beat by two lengths or so, but she tried her best. She hasn’t disappointed me yet this year.”
Said Melander about Hypnotic AM, the Oaks and Filly Futurity runner-up, “I was very happy with her in the elimination. She got to the lead and just got beat by a neck. She’s always right there in these races, she always shows up. She’s never missed the board in her entire life. You can always count on her. She’s a great horse and definitely one of the fillies that can win the race.”
Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Love A Good Story finished third in her elimination, beaten a length by Next Level Stuff. She will start Saturday from Post 10, on the second tier.
“I think she was really coming on for a good-closing third,” trainer Julie Miller said. “I wasn’t tickled with the 10-hole, but that’s better than the eight or nine. We’ll see what happens with her. I think she’s really peaking right now.”
$500,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
PP-Horse-Trainer
1-Next Level Stuff—Jim Campbell
2-Crucial—Ron Burke
3-May Baby—James Yoder
4-Sorella—Nancy Takter
5-Spoiled Princess—Nancy Takter
6-Absattitudexpress—Lucas Wallin
7-Hypnotic AM—Marcus Melander
8-Caviart Eva—Nancy Takter
9-Rock Swan—Erv Miller
10-Love A Good Story—Julie Miller
(USTA)