Tuesday wasn’t 'Take Your Daughter to Work Day' at The Meadows, but the Sand Tart, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event for freshman filly pacers, sure had that feel, as daughters of a pair of harness racing’s most admired champions sparkled in victory.
Put On A Show banked nearly $2.46 million in a career that included the 2010 Dan Patch Award for three-year-old fillies. Her owners, Joanne and Richard Young, bred her to Somebeachsomewhere in hopes of producing another champion, but that daughter, Beach Showoff, suffered illness and injuries that limited her racing days; she was retired to the breeding shed.
Any resulting frustration ended Tuesday when Put On A Show’s second Somebeachsomewhere filly, Come See The Show, triumphed in 1:52.3 in her career debut, matching the fastest time this year by a freshman filly on a five-eighths-mile track. Scuola Hanover was third-placed-second while Yankee Will Dance was disqualified from second to third for a pylon violation.
Just as impressive as the speed of Come See The Show was her determination. When it seemed her long first-over bid might sputter in the stretch, she surged again for Tim Tetrick to score by 3/4 lengths.
“This filly has been good right from the beginning,” said her elated trainer, Linda Toscano. “She’s big like her mom, and she seems to finish her miles like her mom. It’s too soon (for comparisons), but I’m real tickled with the way she’s coming along. We wanted to race her like a 2-year-old making her first start. We didn’t want to abuse her. When she saw the target, she chased it down.”
The Youngs originally owned Come See The Show in partnership but acquired her outright at Lexington for $550,000.
Not to be outdone, Rainbow Room did proud by her mom, 2004 Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue, who amassed a career bankroll exceeding $1.4 million. Already the winner of a maiden race, the Somebeachsomewhere youngster zipped right to the lead for David Miller and held off Elysium Seelster by a length in 1:52.4. Sansovina Hanover completed the ticket.
Winning trainer Joe Holloway purchased Rainbow Room, Rainbow Blue’s eighth foal, for $100,000, largely because of the success he enjoyed with Somwherovrarainbow, the divisional champion at 2 and a full sister to Rainbow Room.
“When I first saw her at the sale, I thought she walked like her sister, looked like her sister, so I really wanted to have her,” Holloway said. “She’s been a sweetheart all along. She trained down from behind, and she’s better off that way. Eventually we’ll be able to race her from behind.”
Crawford Farms Racing, Val D’Or Farms and Ted Gewertz campaign Rainbow Room.
The Sand Tart was contested over four divisions, with Run Burke trainees Strong Opinion (Matt Kakaley) and Double A Mint (Yannick Gingras) taking the other splits.
Burke was especially impressed with the work of Strong Opinion, a daughter of Well Said-Rough Sketch who is undefeated after two starts — both stakes — for Burke Racing Stable, Jack Piatt II, Silva Purnell & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi, LLC.
“It will take a nice horse to go by her,” Burke said. “She’s complete. She has enough speed, she’s well behaved, she’s good gaited. She doesn’t have any negatives.”
The card also featured a pair of $20,000 Preferred Handicap races for trotting and pacing fillies and mares. Bessie moved powerfully first over to capture the trot in a career-best 1:53.3 for Tony Hall, trainer Rick Clapper and owners Paula Clapper, Umholtz Racing Stable and Kennedy Sports Corp. The 6-year-old daughter of Equinox Bi-Cantab’s Chorine now boasts $336,260 in career earnings.
In the pace, the front-ending Safe From Terror held off a slew of late challengers to score her second straight in 1:51.1 for Hall, trainer Bruce Riegle and owner Winchester Baye Acres. The 5-year-old daughter of Western Terror-In A Safe Place extended her lifetime bankroll to $780,707.
There was drama on the tote board as well when Iva Secret captured a non-winners of three event at 114-1, generating a $311.00 across-the-board payoff as well as Pick 4 and superfecta carryovers. Brady Brown drove for trainer Jeff Kirkbride and owner R. Lewis Hauber.
Mike Wilder and Hall each enjoyed a triple on the 13-race card.
Wednesday’s program at The Meadows features a $60,000 PA Stallion Series stake for freshman colt and gelding pacers. First post is 1:05 PM.
(With files from The Meadows)