With a host of well known talented trotters in his stable this year including divisional champions Father Patrick and Shake It Cerry, trainer Jimmy Takter has now emerged with a pair of top pacing contenders that will compete in Saturday’s $1 million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack.
“At this point, of course you couldn’t ask for more, especially when the pacers popped up last weekend showing that they are contenders,” said Takter as he discussed his stable during Meadowlands Racetrack’s In The Sulky interview on Friday night. “The trotters, I’ve known for a couple of weeks now that they seem like the better ones, but it’s exciting and it’s something that we work hard for and now we have to keep them there.”
Takter will send out Canadian-owned three-year-old pacers Tellitlikeitis and Lyonssomewhere, both elimination winners, in his quest for his first North America Cup victory.
Driven by Brett Miller, Tellitlikeitis won his elimination in 1:48.4 over Hes Watching and Luck Be Withyou last weekend at Mohawk. As a freshman, he made eight starts and won two Pennsylvania Sires Stakes while banking $126,563. He won another PASS event in 1:49.1 in his sophomore debut on May 17 at Pocono Downs before the North America Cup eliminations.
“He had a great trip and Brett Miller basically just moved him out,” said Takter of Tellitlikeitis' elimination effort. “I know the horse is extremely quick. Of course, when you have a horse like Hes Watching, he’s hard to pass. He’s a class horse and he showed last year that he had so much ability too, but he had some injuries and that stopped his three-year-old season.”
Owned and bred by three-time North America Cup winning connections from Lothlorien of Cheltenham, Ont., Tellitlikeitis is a son of 2009 Cup champion Well Said out of the millionaire Real Artist mare Kikikatie. All five of Kikikatie’s offspring have taken marks of 1:50 or faster, including 2012 Cup runner-up Time To Roll, and all five were trained by Takter.
“They’ve been awesome and they’re very fast horses,” said Takter. “He’s the first Well Said. He’s just a great little guy. “
Tellitlikeitis will leave from post three in Saturday’s final with Miller, who picked up the drive this year on the bay colt.
“Yannick [Gingras] jumped off late. He had my daughter Nancy’s horse Western Vintage and he had another horse for Burke so I had to line up a driver that would stick with the horse,” said Takter of the driver change. “Brett, I’ve always liked the way he drove a horse. He gets speed out of them and I think he also grew up quite a bit the last couple of years and became a better driver.”
Takter’s other starter is Lyonssomewhere, who won the slowest of three eliminations over Beat The Drum and JK Endofanera in 1:50.1, but with the fastest final quarter, clocked in :25.4.
A newcomer to Takter’s stable this year after being developed by Ciaran Morrison, the son of 2008 Cup winner Somebeachsomewhere out of Miss Kitty Hanover is undefeated in five career starts for owner Geoffrey Lyons Mound of Brantford, Ont. The Cup elimination was his first test against stakes-calibre horses. He will start from post four in the final with Corey Callahan driving.
“We got a little lucky in this race,” noted Takter of the bay colt’s elimination. “Burke’s horse [Jk Endofanera] was on the left line so he bared out quite a bit in the stretch. I knew if he would get out, he has that burst that a top horse has. This horse, it was actually his first stakes appearance and he had four overnight races. Racing like that in his stakes debut, he’s just a fantastic horse and I really like him. I think we’ll see a lot of him in the future.
“He was within himself in a [1]:50 mile and came :25.4 in the last quarter and I’m sure that he can pace with them,” he added. “I’ve got two horses that are both very good closers. I think Tellitlikeitis is maybe a little quicker than the other one, but the other one can do a little bit more dirty job. It’s a very exciting race actually.”
Takter noted his advantage in being able to choose inside post positions as elimination winners when assessing the rest of the competition in the race.
“Ronnie [Pierce with Luck Be Withyou] and Tim [Tetrick with Hes Watching] and Brian [Sears with Jk Endofanera], I’m sure all of them want to be in contention,” he said of the rivals starting to his outside. “It’s tough up there to sit too far back unless it's crazy speed. It’s fortunate when you win the elimination you get to pick your post, and of course, if you're inside you save your horse a little bit in the starting moments and can get into decent position and hopefully still have something left when turning for home.”
Takter well also send out Goodtimes Trot hopeful Trixton and Fan Hanover prospect Uffizi Hanover, both winners of their respective eliminations as well, on the undercard.
To view entries for Saturday's 14-race card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack.
For a free, printable program of Mohawk’s Saturday card (courtesy of TrackIT), click here.
(Photos courtesy New Image Media)