By Shades Demsky, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ
– Three months have passed since When Dovescry and Plunge Blue Chip clashed at
The Meadowlands in a Steele Memorial thriller. Saturday night (Nov. 21), both
million-dollar mares returned to settle the score in the $140,000 TVG Mares
Trot.
The 2019
Hambletonian Oaks winner When Dovescry, a 4-year-old mare by Muscle Hill-Cedar
Dove, set a career best mark of 1:50.0 in the Steele this past August. The
Brett Pelling trainee entered off a second-place finish in her local prep race
last week. She left from the outside post (6) as the even-money favorite taking
on five rivals, with her adversary, Plunge Blue Chip, drawing post position
three.
Plunge Blue Chip,
the daughter of Muscle Mass-Dunk The Donato, finished second to When Dovescry when the two last met locally in the Steele. Ake
Svanstedt, who trains, drives and owns the 5-year-old mare in partnership with
Blue Chip Bloodstock, Inc., got away well at the sound of the bell, sending
Plunge Blue Chip to the early lead. Around the first turn, she relinquished the
top to long-shot, Felicityshagwell S, who
made the opening quarter in :27.1.
Sensing a slow
pace, Svandstedt pulled the pocket and brushed to the point with Plunge Blue
Chip as the field linked up with the backstretch. She progressed unhurried to
the half-mile marker, catching a :29.1 breather, clipping the beam in :56.2.
With plenty in reserve and no serious threats, Plunge Blue Chip showed the
field her heels in the stretch, kicking clear to a 1½-length victory.
Pat Matters
advanced from last to finish second from When Dovescry who disappointed,
settling for third.
Plunge Blue Chip stopped
the clock in 1:51.4, matching a stakes record jointly held by Hanalore Hanover and Emoticon Hanover. She paid $5.80 to win
as the 9-5 second choice.
“The best position
for her today was in the front, and she made it,” Svanstedt said. “She came
home fast and felt good.”
On a night that
celebrated the retirements of Manchego, Bettor's Wish and Kissin In the Sand,
Svanstedt revealed in a surprise post-race announcement, that Plunge Blue Chip
has made her final trip around the Big M oval.
According to Svanstedt,
“[Plunge Blue Chip] sold as a broodmare and she is going to Anvil and Lace farm
in Kentucky.”
With her win in the
TVG Mares Trot, Plunge Blue Chip improved her record to 23 wins from 48 career
starts. She retires with $1,576,251 in earnings.
