The Bluegrass Stakes continued at Lexington’s The Red Mile on Friday afternoon featuring multiple divisions for freshmen trotting colts and freshmen pacing fillies, along with a single split for sophomore filly pacers
.
A quartet of $88,500 Bluegrass Stakes divisions for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings went to Big Rigs, Blue Porsche, Spring Goal and Neal.
In the opening trotting colt division, the popular Big Rigs ($5.40) rebounded from a costly break in the Breeders Crown with a wire-to-wire victory in 1:56.1. Tim Tetrick drove the Andover Hall-Filly At Bigs colt for trainer Kelly O’Donnell. Jr Alber (Ron Pierce) finished one and three-quarter lengths behind while the pocket-sitting Way Back When (David Miller) finished third.
Big Rigs has won half of his eight starts while banking $134,336 for the Millers Stable Inc., DM Stables LLC, and C. Ed Mullinax.
Making his first start in over a month, Champlain Stakes winner Blue Porsche ($4.20) and driver Trevor Ritchie sat fifth for most of the mile before sprinting home on :27.4 to score in a life’s-best 1:55.1 in the next division for trainer Blair Burgess. Luckycharm Hanover (John Campbell) rallied from the backfield to place and Opening Night (Brian Sears) came on for third.
Robert Burgess of Campbellville and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton, Ont. share ownership of the Glidemaster-Machita colt, who is now three-for-six with over $100,000 earned.
Spring Goal ($10.60), driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Jim Campbell, advanced first up from fifth at the third quarter mark and motored home to score his first stakes win in 1:56 – a new lifetime best. High Pan Tolerance (Ray Schnittker) rode the pocket to finish second, one and three-quarter lengths behind the winner, while Fort Valley As (Andy Miller) rounded out the top three. Even-money favourite Pegasus Blue Chip set the tempo but faded to fifth for Ritchie and Burgess.
Spring Goal has won three times and has never finished worse than third in six outings for Fashion Farms LLC of New Hope, Pennsylvania. His earnings climbed to $53,920 with the victory.
Fashion Farms’ Neal ($3.20) bounced back from his miscue in the Breeders Crown with a four and a half length triumph in a career-best 1:54.4 in the final division. The son of Credit Winner-Lavern Lavec, trained by Jim Campbell, advanced first up from fourth under the direction of Brian Sears. Mythic Hall (Ron Pierce) was the runner-up with Not Nice (Yannick Gingras) third. Early leader Kashs Cantab (John Campbell) ended up fourth.
Neal now sports a record reading 4-3-1 in 10 outings and a bankroll of $257,748.
Cold Mist, Southwind Jazmin and Strike An Attitude were all winners in their $105,000 Bluegrass divisions for two-year-old filly pacers.
Pennsylvania Sires Stakes champion Cold Mist ($5.80) went from last to first to win her division thanks to a :27.4 final frame. Driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Steve Elliott, the daughter of Mcardle-Cold And Clear edged out favourite Honky Tonk Woman (David Miller) by a head in 1:55. Pocket-sitter Celebrity Dollfin (Brian Sears), a 63-1 longshot, finished one and three-quarter lengths behind in third with pacesetter Emilios Stride (Jim Morrill Jr.) fourth.
Elliott also shares ownership of Cold Mist, a winner of three races in 11 starts and $238,679, with Old Block Stables Inc. of New York and Kenneth Klein of Armonk, New York.
The popular Southwind Jazmin ($3.80) and driver Jim Morrill Jr. charged to command from sixth after the opening quarter and cruised to a one-length victory in 1:52.3. The daughter of Art Major-Juliets Fate established a new lifetime mark while beating late-closers Shyaway (Brian Sears) and Swinging Beauty (Jody Jamieson).
The Mark Harder pupil has won half of her 10 starts and sports a bankroll of $147,463 for owner Rick Phillips of Tappan, New York.
Breeders Crown runner-up Strike An Attitude ($2.10) advanced to the lead from third after the opening quarter and charged to victory in a career-best 1:51.2, with her final quarter clocked in :26.3. John Campbell drove the Western Hanover-Strike A Balance filly, who prevailed by two and three-quarter lengths over Asteria Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) and All Tucked Up (Jody Jamieson).
Strike An Attitude now boasts five wins on her record in 12 starts. She has banked nearly $400,000 in her debut season for trainer and owner Bob McIntosh and his partners Paul Ysebaert of Mooretown, Ont. and the C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio.
Ticket To Rock had the winning ticket in the lone $185,000 division for sophomore pacing fillies.
Ticket To Rock ($4.80) and driver David Miller got away eighth from Post 11 and rallied off cover to establish a new lifetime mark of 1:51. Best Boss (Mike Lachance) finished three-quarters of a length back in second and Seriously (Jody Jamieson) rounded out the top three.
Jeffrey Webster trains daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Odds On J P for Let It Ride Stables Inc., the Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge, Ont., Robert Cooper Stables LLC and Jerry Silva. The win was her 10th in 16 seasonal starts and lifted her earnings to $306,350 for 2010 and $554,841 lifetime.