by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway
HAMBURG, N.Y. --- For Plunge Blue Chip, it was quite an
impressive way to start out your racing career by getting a New York Sire
Stakes victory and setting a track record.
Plunge Blue Chip made her memorable debut in the New York
Sire Stakes on Friday night (June 30) for 2-year-old trotting fillies by
winning her $21,800 division and erasing one of Buffalo Raceway's longest
standing track marks in doing so. She motored around the Hamburg half mile oval
in 2:00.0 and eclipsed the old standard of 2:00.2 established in 2009 by Munis
Blue Chip.
The journey was just one of three victories for
trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt in the Sire Stakes on the evening.
The heavily-favored Plunge Blue Chip scored off the rail and
as the earlier four Sire Stake races proved, the front end was the place to
be.
Roaring out to the advantage off the starting gate, Plunge
Blue Chip ($3.60) was in command the entire mile with fractions of 29.3, 59.3
and 1:30.2. A final split of 29.3 ensured the track record as Ithinkthatsmine
(Chris Lems) and White Cheetah (Matt Kakaley) could do nothing but watch
history being made from second and third respectively as Plunge Blue Chip blew
them out by six lengths.
Svanstedt said after the race, "She trained really nice
all week and went the mile with ease. She just seems to have that little bit
extra compared to my other two winners. I think this is just the beginning for
her...there's plenty more to come."
Plunge Blue Chip (Muscle Mass-Dunk The Donato) is owned by
Ake Svanstedt Inc. and Blue Chip Bloodstock.
The Sire Stakes started off with a bang as Oooteeny (Ray
Schnittker) kicked things off with a $64.00 win in the opening division while
Lima Novelty followed that up a $15.00 victory. Natalie Hanover took the third
event with a $7.80 payoff and Lucky Ava got the $5.30 nod in the fourth.
In the first leg, Oooteeny (Credit Winner-Lindy's Head
Nurse) benefited from breakers and easily got the lead from the start. After
putting up fractions of 31.4, 1:02,3 and 1:34.2, Oooteeny wasn't challenged at
all in the stretch and rolled to the 3-1/4 length triumph over Donttellvoula
(Matt Kakaley) in 2:03.4. Ladyyouraregorgeous (Lems) took the show position.
Oooteeny (Credit Winner-Lindy's Head Nurse) is owned by the
Runthetable Stables and is trained by Jim Campbell.
In the second leg, Lima Novelty made her winning move just
before the opening quarter pole as she trotted from third to the lead. It
proved to be the right call by driver Jody Jamieson as Lima Novelty (Chapter
Seven-No Pictures Please) never looked back after that in downing Fury Road
(Svanstedt) by a non-threatening half length. Abbie Hall (Trond Smedshammer)
was third.
Lima Novelty is co-owned by trainer Carl Jamieson and Dr.
Robert Boyce.
Natalie Hanover (Svanstedt) captured the third division in
2:04.0 by barely holding back the late charging Big Checkmate (Donald Dupont)
by a nose. Kowtow Hanover (Kakaley) was third under the wire.
Co-owned by the Svanstedt-Masstrom Stable, the Van Camp
Trotting Corp., Anders Olsson and Lars Berg, Natalie Hanover (Chapter Seven-Nanticoke
Hanover) is trained by Svanstedt.
Lucky Ava (Svanstedt) went gate-to-wire to defeat Dew To Win
(Smedhammer) by two lengths. Setting solid fractions of 30.3, 1:02 and 1:33.1,
a 28.2 final panel was more than enough to hold off any challengers. Good Lucky
Ginny (John Cummings Jr.) was the third place finisher.
The 2-year-old Lucky Chucky-Ava Marion sidewinder is
co-owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC and the Van Camp Trotting Corp.
There were a pair of $15,000 events in the Excelsior A Series.
Chilicheatum (Smedshammer) captured the first race with a $10.20 win in 2:05.0
while Pittstop Emerald (Lems) tripped the timer in 2:04.1 in taking the $7.10
victory.
In the lone $6,500 Excelsior B Series race, Minne Cheatum
(Cummings Jr.) covered the mile in 2:04.3 and returned $13.00 to her backers.
Empire Earl N ($3.70) made it two straight victories in the
$10,000 Open Trot with a nose win over BZ Glide in 2:00.2 as Larry Stalbaum
guided him to the winner's circle.
Racing will resume on Saturday night at 6 p.m. with 11 races
scheduled.
For more information including the latest news, upcoming
promotions, race replays and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com
