By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY— Manchego won her ninth start in a row, taking the fifth of five divisions
of the $330,000 Norman Woolworth Memorial Bluegrass Two-Year-Old Filly Trot,
sponsored by Arden Homestead Stable, E.T. Gerry & Peter Gerry, Margareta
Wallenius, Kleberg, Stoner Manor Inc., Menhammer Stuteri Ab, Continental
Stables, Jorgen Jahre Jr., and LST Stables, on Friday, September 29 at The Red
Mile.
Sent
off the 1-9 favorite, Manchego sat third through a :30.1 opening quarter before
brushing to the top approaching the half, timed in :59.3. Pressured to three
quarters by Ciao Dolce, who pulled first over moving around the turn, Manchego
soon drew away from the field off a 1:29.2 clip to win by seven lengths in
1:56.1 over Ciao Dolce and Southwind Angelica.
Amassing
$534,948 in earnings, Manchego, by Muscle Hill from the Cantab Hall mare Secret
Magic, competes for the interests of Black Horse Racing, John Fielding, and
Herb Liverman. Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Yannick Gingras, she paid
$2.10 to win.
Sevenbuyeleven
moved first over around the final turn to take the first division of the
Bluegrass in 1:55.1.
Getting
away third, Sevenbuyeleven sat off a :28.3 quarter set by White Cheetah, who
yielded for the pocket as odds-on favorite Front Circle challenged for the
front by the half in :58. Corey Callahan tipped Sevenbuyeleven wide moving into
the turn, matching strides with Front Circle at three-quarters in 1:27.3 before
taking the lead into the stretch, advancing two-and-a-half lengths clear of
White Cheetah finishing second, with Front Circle back in third.
By
Chapter Seven out of the Muscles Yankee mare Muscleini, Sevenbuyseven won her
second race in seven starts, earning $59,267 for owner Kenneth Jacobs. Trained
by Linda Toscano, she paid $12.80 to win in a lifetime-best effort.
Seven
Karats remained on stride, reclaiming control approaching the wire to take the
second Bluegrass division in 1:56.3.
Driver
Scott Zeron positioned Seven Karats in the pocket behind pacesetter Nixie Volo,
who put up fractions of :28.4 and :58.2 on an uncontested lead. Mooshka Stride,
the 6-5 favorite, sat third as Dashanay moved first over, supplying cover to
Sherrys Lady. Nixie Volo lost stride midway around the turn, with Dashanay soon
going on a gallop, forcing Sherrys Lady three wide around the turn. Seven
Karats inherited the lead at three-quarters in 1:28.4 with Sherrys Lady
alongside in second.
Sherrys
Lady took a narrow advantage in the stretch as Seven Karats, rough-gaited,
dropped back to the inside. Into the sixteenth pole, Seven Karats retook the
lead, finishing a neck in front of Sherrys Lady, with Mooshka Stride chasing in
third.
Owned
by Kenneth Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano, Seven Karats, by Chapter Seven
from the Deweycheatumnhowe mare Blue Diamonds, won his second race in nine
starts, earning $59,905. She paid $14.60 to win.
Top
Expectations won the third division of the Bluegrass in a near wire-to-wire
performance, winning in 1:56.1.
Unchallenged
through fractions of :29.3 and :59.3, Top Expectations was soon challenged by
Lily Stride, moving wide from third around the turn, taking a narrow lead at
three-quarters in 1:28.2. Top Expectations emerged on top in the stretch,
kicking clear to a length-and-a-quarter victory with Lily Stride second, and
Asa Ready To Glide, off a second-over trip, closing for third.
By
Cantab Hall from the Kadabra mare Exceed Expectation, Top Expectations, paying
$6.80 to win, won her third race in nine starts this season, collecting
$201,378 for owner Daniel Plouffe. She is trained by Erv Miller and was driven
by Marcus Miller.
Going
off the 3-5 favorite, Seviyorum swept to a four-and-a-half length victory,
taking her Bluegrass split in 1:56.2.
Sitting
fourth as Wish I Was There parked to take the front through a :29.4 opening
quarter,
Seviyorum sat at the rail as Swing It Cathy contested for the front,
leading at the half in 1:00.1. Andy Miller tipped the Julie Miller trainee
first over entering the turn, rushing up to match strides with Swing It Cathy
at three-quarters in 1:29.3 before sliding two lengths clear into the stretch
and expanding her lead to the line. Swing It Cathy finished second, with Sarabi
As, from second over, taking third.
Paying
$3.20 to win, Seviyorum, by Donato Hanover from the Self Possessed mare Armbro
Domino, won her third race in seven starts, earning $101,509 for owners Stroy
Inc. and Andy Miller Stables Inc.
Grand
Circuit racing at The Red Mile continues Saturday, September 30 with three
divisions of the $262,700 Artspeak Bluegrass Two-Year-Old Filly Pace, presented
by the Artspeak Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms, and four divisions of the
$302,000 Western Ideal Bluegrass Stakes, sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms and
Brittany Farms. First-race post for the Saturday program is 7:00 p.m.
EDT.
