Monticello Raceway hosted the final leg of the New York Sire
Stakes and the Excelsior Series for 2 year old filly trotters on Wednesday
(Sept. 3). There were three $37,000 splits in the sire stakes and five short
fields in the Excelsior Series. And despite eight of the 12 races on the card
featuring the up- and -coming freshmen trotters still wagering was good.
The owners of all the winners could stand tall especially
Braxton Medical AB, the proprietors of Shaqline who, in only her fourth
lifetime start, equaled the track record for freshmen trotting fillies when
Jimmy Takter guided her to a 1:59.2 triumph in her NYSS split.
Shaqline now shares top honors with Lady Riviera who also was victorious in
1:59.2 for Ronnie Pierce in 2012.
Takter, driving more now and enjoying it immensely, sent the
daughter of Credit Winner-Vivaca Hall to the lead from the pole position
and they raced unchallenged on the front- end until the final turn. There,
after shadowing Shaqline all the way from the get-go, Mark MacDonald
moved Nunkeri out to contest the leader but all Takter had to do was give his
filly her head and she remained in front as she trotted a final
quarter in :28.4 en route to her track record equaling performance. Nunkeri was
three lengths back in second place and Dancewithmechuck took home the show
dough for Charlie Norris
She’s a real good filly,” Takter told those who joined him
in the winner’s circle..
He was asked why this was only Shaqline’s fourth career
start to which he replied; “She had an entrapped epiglottis and it took three
surgeries before the problem got fixed. She’s breathing great now and she’s
going to be a real good 3 year old.”
Shaqline is a pretty nice 2 year old now, Jimmy, and
she’ll be the one to beat in her $225,000 NYSS Final at Yonkers Raceway on
Saturday, September 13.
Sent of the favorite in the betting Shaqline paid $3.80 for
win.
The finale will be no cake walk when Shaqline faces some of
the other division winners along the way, especially Concentration and
Kaliska, who each were victorious in NYSS action at the Mighty M on Wednesday.
Concentration, a daughter of Conway Hall-Super Starlet, had
driver Chris Lems smiling in the winners circle after they scored a
2:00.1 victory over Summer Scent and driver Dan Daley.
After a slow start Lems put Concentration on the
pylons in third position and they were five lengths off the lead set by Daly
and Summer Scent as they passed the quarter in :30.
Lems followed the leader until he moved his filly out to
challenge up the backside. They easily gained command and at the third stanza
in 1:30 they had two on Summer Scent. From there it was catch me if you can,
and no one could, as Concentration coasted home a 1-1/4-length winner in
2:00.1. Daley’s filly was second and Ray Schnittker got Summers Windsong up for
third place.
“She’s a nice filly and if we get a good (post) position in
the final I think she’ll be heard from,’ Lems added through his smiles.
Trained by George Ducharme for owner Chip
Campbell, Concentration paid $5.20 for win.
Schnittker also got a chance to have his picture taken
after he won the final $37,000 NYSS division with Kaliska in 2:00. But he had
to work hard for it.
After they fell into the two-hole on the first turn behind
Dan Daley and Cherry Crown Jewel that duo led the field by the
quarter in a swift :28. When they passed the half in :58 Schnittker
was out and going and Kaliska took command up the backside.
They kept the lead until the finish and Schnittker had to
steadily urge his filly but Kaliska held off a late rally on the far outside by
Mark MacDonald and Duolectra to win by a neck. Favored Pig Hunt was third for
George Brennan.
“She’s green and I had to keep after her because she tried
to pull up three times in the stretch,” Schnittker expounded after the mile.
The Credit Winner-Armbro Vivian filly is trained by
Schnittker and owned by Schnittker, Tom Spatorico, the Pepin Stable
and Fam Alber Horse Racing LLC. She paid $10.00 for win.
The undercard featured five divisions in the Excelsior
Series also for freshmen trotting fillies. Winners included: I'm Very Lucky
(Sam Schillaci) in 2:08.4 ; Barn Girl (Jeff Gregory) in 2:00; Morcredit
Bluechip (Jeff Gregory) in 2:00.2; Teacher Pat (Chris Lems) in 2:02.3 and
Waiting Room (Jimmy Morrill, Jr.) in 2:01.1.
