Captaintreacherous, American Jewel Highlight Big Night for Connections
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Captaintreacherous, American Jewel highlight Captaintreacherous has now won six of seven career big night for connections starts, with his only loss coming by a neck in his career By Nicole Russo debut. LEXINGTON, Ky. - The exciting young pacer Two other divisional winners were driven by Ron Pierce, Captaintreacherous (Somebeachsomewhere) contributed to as Dovuto Hanover (Dragon Again), trained by Ryan a big evening for his connections with a popular victory in Maxwell, and Fool Me Once (Art Major), trained by Mark his division of the Bluegrass Series event for two-year-old Austin, both came away with victories. Twilight Bonfire (The pacing colts and geldings Saturday night at the Red Mile. Panderosa), trained by Danny Collins, won another division to give driver John Campbell his fourth winner on the night. Rockin Amadeus (Rocknroll Hanover), driven by Yannick Gingras for trainer Jimmy Takter, was declared the winner via disqualification in his division. Odds On Equuleus, who crossed the line first, was disqualified and placed seventh for interference that caused several horses to break stride entering the far turn. Takter teamed up with the red-hot Tetrick for another victory as, one year after her career almost ended with an injury at the Red Mile, top filly American Jewel coasted to a victory in her division of the Bluegrass Series event for three-year-old pacing fillies. (continued on next page) The Captain did it again last night at the Red Mile (Photo Credit: Nigel Soult) It was the sixth victory in a row for Captaintreacherous, who had not competed in a pari-mutuel race since Sept. 1. The colt, from the first crop of Somebeachsomewhere, was piloted by regular driver Tim Tetrick, who won three Grand Circuit events on the evening, including a division of the event for three-year-old pacing fillies with top filly Ameri- can Jewel (American Ideal). Trainer Tony Alagna sent out two winners on the card, while co-owner Brittany Farms owned, solely or in partnership, three winners. Captaintreacherous was relaxed in the early going, settling in fifth down the backstretch as longshot My One Tru Desire took the field through opening fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:24.2. The colt kicked clear to lead by two lengths exiting the turn, looking to pull the upset. But Captaintreacherous, in the clear on the outside, wore the leader down in the stretch to win handily, stopping the clock in 1:51.3 for the mile. "I talked to Tim after the race, and I said, 'I think that's the biggest race he's ever run,'" Alagna said. "We've always talked about his key is his ability to relax. ... He's just always showed us he had a little extra something, and he's such a smart colt. ... It's a great characteristic in a horse his age." Good Day Mate edged out Hail The Taxi for second, with My One Tru Desire fading to fourth HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 9/30/12 PAGE 2 of 14 The filly suffered a fracture to a right hind sesamoid last all but one of Campbell's winners, including Shelliscape. fall, ending her season. Following surgery and recovery, she The duo would have recorded another Grand Circuit victory was able to return to competition this year. on the evening, but Odds On Equuleus was disqualified American Jewel was already leading when Sarandon Blue from the win in his division of the event for two-year-old Chip broke stride on the far turn, bothering several horses. A pacing colts. three-horse breakaway survived the mishap, as American Thinking Out Loud was content to sit in third early as Pet Jewel, Destiny's Chance and Rockaround Sue came into Rock controlled the tempo through comfortable early frac- the stretch well clear of the rest of the field. American Jewel tions of :28.2 and :57.1Campbell angled Thinking Out Loud quickly strutted clear and pulled away in the lane under out for room entering the far turn and the colt edged up to almost no urging, finishing in 1:50.1. put some pressure on the leader through three quarters in 1:25.3. American Jewel had lost four of her previous five, and was Thinking Out Loud made his bid for the lead nearing the coming off a fourth in the Jugette Final last time out, her top of the stretch and easily put away the pacemaker. The only unplaced effort in 12 starts this season. colt unleashed a furious kick down the lane to secure the "It feels great (to see her bounce back," owner George victory, stopping the clock in 1:51. Segal of Brittany Farms, which also bred the filly, said. "You "He's got a tremen- can't win every race. There are a lot of good fillies out there. dous kick, when he's in Delaware's a hard place to win." position," Campbell said The filly has now won 14 of 21 career starts, pushing her of his colt's flying final earnings past $1.5 million. half-mile. In the event's other division, Shelliscape (Artiscape) Bettor's Edge, who avenged her loss to Darena Hanover in the Jugette Final, was third in the Little besting that rival and the rest of a classy field. Brown Jug, wore down Darena Hanover led at the half mile marker, but New York Pet Rock to edge him Stallion Series final winner Romantic Moment, who was John Campbell had a huge night for the place. bidding for her fifth consecutive win, began to inch up at the Red Mile, winning four Thinking Out Loud around the far turn. The filly took the lead once straightened races, including both stakes for won the $1.5 million away into the stretch. But Shelliscape, relaxed early, came 3yo pacing colts Pepsi North America flying down the center of the track with a sustained bid, (continued on next page) wearing Romantic Moment down in the final yards for the victory in a personal-best 1:49.1. Behind the top two came Lightning Paige and Ramalama; Darena Hanover faded to fifth. Shelliscape, a New York Stallion Series division winner earlier in the year for trainer Robert McIntosh, won an elimi- nation heat of the Jugette by 6 1/4 lengths on Sept. 19 at Delaware, but ultimately finished third to Darena Hanover in the final. The filly's Bluegrass Series win on Saturday gave her eight wins from 27 career starts, pushing her earnings past $400,000. Thinking Out Loud, Mel Mara shine at Red Mile By Nicole Russo LEXINGTON, Ky. - Thinking Out Loud (Ponder) re- bounded from an unplaced effort in the Little Brown Jug in his prior outing, roaring down the stretch to win a division of the Winbak Farms Bluegrass Series for three-year-old pac- ing colts and geldings Saturday night at the Red Mile. The colt capped a huge night for driver John Campbell and trainer Robert McIntosh. Campbell piloted four winners, including three in Grand Circuit events. In addition to Thinking Out Loud, he drove Shelliscape to win a division of the Bluegrass Series event for three-year-old pacing fillies, and Twilight Bonfire to win a division of the event for two-year-old pacing colts. McIntosh - who also co-bred and co-owns Thinking Out Loud - trained HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 9/30/12 PAGE 3 of 14 Cup in stakes record time (1:47.4) in June, and later finished round out the trifecta. second to Bolt The Duer in the Kentucky Stallion Series final Mel Mara, who won for the first time since taking an in July. The colt finished fourth in his elimination heat of the Ontario Stallion Series division in July, now has five wins Little Brown Jug - which was won by the race's eventual from 19 career starts. champion, Michael's Power - then was fourth in the final. "They've always had high hopes for this horse," Tetrick Thinking Out Loud, who is out of the Camluck mare Los said. "They've always thought he had a lot of ability, and he Angeles, became a millionaire with his ninth victory from 20 just never really put everything together." career starts. The colt was bred by John Carver, who co-owns the colt The night's other division of the event for three-year-old with Brittany Farms and Riverview Farms. pacing males was won by Mel Mara (Lis Mara), who helped Tetrick won three Grand Circuit events on the evening, as fuel a big night for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Tony Alagna he also took a division of the event for three-year-old pac- and co-owner Brittany Farms. ing fillies with American Jewel and a division of the event Kentucky Stallion Series final winner Bolt The Duer, who for two-year-old pacing males with Captaintreacherous. All came in off a runner-up effort in an elimination heat of the three are owned, solely or in part, by Brittany Farms. Little Brown Jug, led through opening fractions of :27.2 and Alagna trains both Mel Mara and Captaintreacherous. :56.2. Mel Mara began edging up on the leader down the backstretch, and poked a head in front on the turn through six furlongs in 1:23.3. © Copyright Harness Racing Update. Mel Mara fought off Bolt The Duer in upper stretch and This newspaper may not be reproduced in any form or by strutted clear in the final stages, opening up to finish the any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior written mile in 1:49.4.