By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON, KY— Winning her elimination, Broadway
Donna returned to the track hours later to claim victory in the $312,000
Kentucky Filly Futurity.
Earlier on the card, Broadway Donna trotted a
1:51.1 to win the first of two eliminations for the Filly Futurity, paying
$7.00 to win.
Sitting fourth through a :27 quarter set by
Southwind Hope, Broadway Donna moved first over from fourth to brush to control
before the half. She was in front through a :55 half and began kicking away
from Southwind Hope chasing in second and Spicedbourbongirl in third. Trotting
to three-quarters in 1:23.1, Broadway Donna remained in front by open lengths
through the stretch, coasting home while Earn Your Wings came down the center
of the track for second and Flowers N Songs for third. Spicedbourbongirl
finished fourth and Dream Child was fifth.
“She wasn’t at the top of her game last week,”
Jim Campbell said. “Part of it was probably my fault; I should’ve pulled her
hind shoes last week, but she warmed up so good that I thought she was okay
with them on. Dave [Miller] thought the track kind of stuck to her and wore her
out more than anything, so I’ll take the blame for last week.
“I was just watching David and he was just
letting her trot along. I was just hoping that she would bounce back and be
like her old self, and if she was, the fractions wouldn’t bother me. David
didn’t even look like he was asking her; she looked real strong all the way
down the lane. I was paying more attention to David than I was the fractions.
Owned by Vanersol In., Dancing In Thehall, an
Ake Svanstedt-trainee by Cantab Hall out of the Donerail mare Doin’ The Town,
pulled off a 47-1 upset in the second elimination, winning in 1:53.
Womans Will led the field through a :28 first
quarter before losing the lead to Side Bet Hanover. Celebrity Eventsy pulled
first over from fifth with Wildflower on her back at the half, timed in :55.4.
Dancing In Thehall was trotting at the rail in sixth around the far turn while
Side Bet Hanover progressed to three-quarters in front of Celebrity Eventsy
stalled first over in 1:24.4.
Side Bet Hanover drifted off the rail through
the stretch, leaving room for Dancing In Thehall and driver Yannick Gingras to
sweep up the rail while Wildflower, Gin And Lindy, and Double Exposure tried to
advance towards the center of the track. Side Bet Hanover tried to fight off
Dancing In Thehall to her inside heading to the line, but Dancing In Thehall
edged by. Double Exposure finished third, Gin And Lindy fourth, and Gracie
Hanover fifth.
“[We] just tried to stay close to the rail and
hope that something opened up,” Yannick Gingras said. “She felt really strong
around the last turn, so I figured at that point I made the final, but all the
way through the stretch she kept picking them off one by one.”
Dancing In Thehall paid $96.80 to win.
In the second heat, Broadway Donna grabbed
command before the half and strolled to a 1:51.2 victory.
Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Broadway Donna edged
off the cones passing the quarter in :27.3 to take the top from
Spicedbourbongirl. She trotted to the half in :55.3 as Side Bet Hanover
initiated a first-over bid into the turn, being tracked by Flowers N Songs.
Side Bet Hanover matched strides with Spicedbourbongirl heading to
three-quarters about two lengths off of Broadway Donna. Timed in 1:23.4,
Broadway Donna kicked away in the stretch under wraps while Spicedbourbongirl
chased for second and Flowers N Songs kicked off cover for third.
Broadway Donna, by Donato Hanover out of the
Broadway Hall mare Broadway Schooner, won her 14th race in 20 starts, earning
$933,494 for owner Fashion Farms LLC. Trained by Jim Campbell and driven by
David Miller, she returned $3.20 to win.
“It was pretty much an identical trip [to the
first heat],” David Miller said. “She was just the same in the second heat as
she was in the first.”
“[We] couldn’t be more proud of her today,” Jim
Campbell said. “She showed what she can really do, and for her to go two heats
like she did today was just impressive. She’s an amazing filly.
“She started off on a good note; she was really
good in her first start. And then in her second start she was sick. She bled a
little bit in the Hambletonian Oaks, and we put her on Lasix but it didn’t seem
to kick in until today. She went out and did what we were hoping to see today.
“Mr. Segal will make the final decision on
[racing her at four]. I’m sure he’s leaning towards it, but as long as
everything finishes up good this year, I’m sure he’d be in favor of that. They
probably have a spot for her all reserved for whenever that time comes, but
hopefully it’s not for a couple years.”
