By Frank Cotolo, for The Meadowlands Racetrack
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Misswalner Fashion
and driver Tim Tetrick won the $294,580 Kindergarten Classic Final for
2-year-old trotting fillies Saturday night (Nov. 13) at The Meadowlands in a
lifetime-best 1:53.3.
The 10-horse field was reduced to eight
when the gate opened as Lookin Chic refused to trot and Palmero Hanover broke.
Valentina Blu went straight for the front but was in second quickly as
Misswalner Fashion grabbed the top and glided into a :28.1 first quarter.
Little Pink Lies sat third and favorite Lilbitalexis rolled along in fourth.
Misswalner Fashion stayed in command
going to the half in :57 while Lilbitalexis came first over, giving cover to
Brickhouse Babe. Neither made up much ground as Misswalner Fashion began to
draw off, clocking three-quarters ahead by three lengths in 1:24.3.
The daughter of Walner continued to
dictate the mile in deep stretch, maintaining her three-length advantage while
Valentina Blu chased in second and Primadonna Deo made a late rush to the center
of the track to take third from Brickhouse Babe.
Misswalner Fashion collected her fifth
win in eight starts under the supervision of trainer Jim Campbell. Jules Siegel
and Judith M. Peres own Misswalner Fashion, whose earnings rose to $211,638.
She paid $5.60 to win.
After the race, Tim Tetrick emphasized
his confidence in the “really nice filly.” He said she “felt great cruising
right along like she was doing no work. I knew [Lilbitalexis] would have to
come first up so I let [my filly] trot pretty good around the turn and she
finished up good. It was a “big mile for the young filly.”
Trainer Campbell said Misswalner Fashion
likes The Meadowlands, but she surprised him racing at The Red Mile. “She made
a break the first week and then raced kind of dull the second week and that
surprised me but I'm glad she picked tonight.”
She was a late starter this season but
“It wasn’t by design,” Campbell said. “She baby raced early. We were going to
race her in the first leg of the sires stakes but she came up sick. We weren't
going to try to rush her back. We just took our time with her. It worked out
okay. She finishes with a nice year and hopefully she'll come back and be a
good filly for us next year.”
