Mission Brief named November Horse of the Month

from the USTA Communications Department

Columbus, OH — Freshman trotting filly Mission Brief, who closed out her 2014 season by adding a Breeders Crown title to her resume, has been named November Horse of the Month by the United States Trotting Association.

Mission Brief, a daughter of Muscle Hill-Southwind Serena, is the fastest 2-year-old trotter in harness racing history, with a mark of 1:50.3. She has won nine of 13 races this year and earned $591,070 for Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, J&T Silva Stables and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. She is trained by Ron Burke.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Mission Brief won the Breeders Crown final in a stakes-record 1:51.4.

Mission Brief was on her best behavior in her first start of the month, on Nov. 14 in a $25,000 Breeders Crown elimination for 2-year-old filly trotters at the Meadowlands, and that spelled bad news for her six rivals.

Driven by Yannick Gingras, she posted a wrapped-up victory in 1:54.2 as the 3-10 favorite. Mission Brief won by three lengths over Danielle Hall with Smexi in third.

Mission Brief closed out her month and season when she stormed to a 4-3/4 length win over Danielle Hall in a stakes-record 1:51.4 in the $500,000 Breeders Crown final on Nov. 21.

Gingras guided Mission Brief to the top before reaching the half in :55.3 and never looked back. Danielle Hall and driver Jody Jamieson made a first-over bid as the group hit three-quarters in 1:24.1, but Mission Brief pulled away through the stretch.

Her time bettered Shake It Cerry’s stakes-record, set last year, by two seconds.

“The strategy was making the front whenever I had to and I didn’t really want to press her too much in the first turn for no reason,” Gingras said that night in the winner’s circle. “I let the dust settle and she was so well behaved tonight, she was letting me do what I like to do. She showed what she can do, actually.

“She could have gone in (1):50 tonight here just as easy as she went in 1:51.4. I showed her the whip around the last turn and she got in to another gear and she had more than that. The talent this filly has is unbelievable. As long as she stays sound, and she wants to do what we want to do with her, she’s going to do amazing things.”

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