If a 26-second last quarter in a Meadowlands qualifier wasn't astonishing enough, a 1:50.3 mile from Rock N Roll Heaven in his Governor's Cup elimination Sunday afternoon at Harrah's Chester Racetrack should be
.
Faced with pressure from race's outset, the two-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover was used early to clear All Speed Hanover through a :26.4 first quarter, and pushed on by Windfall Blue Chip through a :54.1 half mile, by far the most punishing pace of any of the four eliminations. Up the backstretch, with Windfall Blue Chip beginning to fade, Rock N Roll Heaven caught a brief breather.
All Speed Hanover angled out of the pocket before the far turn, pressing Rock N Roll Heaven to three-quarters in 1:22.1. On the far turn, Rock N Roll Heaven responded to the pressure, holding All Speed Hanover off and later repelling a late bid from the ground-saving Versado to win by just over a length in 1:50.3.
The performance was a World Record effort for a two-year-old pacing colt on a five-eighths mile oval. It shaved one fifth of a second off the former standard of 1:50.4 set by If I Can Dream in an elimination of last year’s Matron Stake at Dover Downs.
Daniel Dube drives Rock N Roll Heaven for owner Frank Bellino and trainer Bruce Saunders.
One More Laugh turned in a track record performance in his elimination, winning in 1:51.3 under Tim Tetrick. The two-year-old Mcardle gelding circled the field on the far turn en route to winning by three-quarters of a length over pacesetter Rockin Image.
Prohibitive favourites Dr Dreamy (1:52.4 - Brian Sears) and Malicious (1:51.3 - David Miller) also took their eliminations.
In addition to the quartet of Governor's Cup eliminations, three splits for the Three Diamonds were contested for two-year-old pacing fillies, again swept by odds-on favourites.
Fancy Filly was an impressive winner in her elimination, closing up the open stretch for a handy 1:52.1 win under Brian Sears. Higher And Higher was just as impressive, drawing away by more than five lengths in 1:54.1 with Dave Palone in tow. Casino Nights and Brian Sears took the other Three Diamonds split in 1:54.
The finals for the Governor's Cup and Three Diamonds will be contested on Sunday, September 20 at Harrah’s Chester Racetrack.
(Harrah’s Chester Racetrack)