What Cheer, IA — Two pacing colts broke the 2:00 mark in separate wins on Saturday (Aug. 31) and Sunday (Sept. 1) at the Keokuk County Fairgrounds during Labor Day weekend racing at What Cheer.

The leading 2-year-old pacing colts Waco Sassy Kid and Slippin The Clutch both drew into the same division for the fourth time this season. Neither colt has finished less than second in Iowa-Registered company, and those finishes came only when the two raced each other. Coming into Saturday’s race Waco Sassy Kid tallied five wins and one place while Slippin The Clutch had four wins and two places.

Slippin The Clutch matches Waco Sassy Kid stride-for-stride as the two top 2-year-old pacing colts battled for the lead in the final turn at What Cheer. Gretchen Roland photo.

Waco Sassy Kid drew the rail with driver Brett Erickson taking the call. Slippin The Clutch was just to their right in post position two with leading driver Will Roland in the bike. Erickson shot Waco Sassy Kid off the gate and Slippin The Clutch quickly filed in. Challenger First Gunner was parked to their outside until falling into third before the leading pair reached the quarter in :29.2.

The field relaxed, staying single file to the half in 1:01 and the three-quarters in 1:30.3 where Will Roland tipped out Slippin The Clutch to challenge the leader. In a burst of speed Slippin The Clutch was quickly at Waco Sassy Kid’s side, matching the leader stride-for-stride throughout the final turn until edging to the lead at the head of the stretch and taking the mile in 1:59.4.

Slippin The Clutch is a son of Millionaire Cam out of the Artsplace mare Sweet Otra. Trained by Curtis Carey, Slippin The Clutch bettered his lifetime mark by three seconds and is now tied with Waco Sassy Kid in the Iowa-Registered points standings. The pair are more than 20 points ahead of the nearest competition. Slippin The Clutch is owned by Jesse Delong, Rick & CD Huffman and Jeff Carey.

In another tough draw, the top three 3-year-old pacing colts were all in the same division on Sunday (Sept. 1). None of the geldings were coming off of top miles, with Oh Toodles being the most recent to see the winners circle two weeks ago in a 2:00 mile at What Cheer.

Trained and driven by Scott Smith, points leader Oh Toodles drew the rail. Huffman Stable’s My Money Honey drew post position two with Rob Anderson taking the reins and Mark Mintun’s Fred And Ginger gelding Fred And Roz was in post position three. Duane Roland’s Artspire rounded out the field.

Anderson had My Money Honey revved behind the gate, giving him the momentum to sweep to the front into turn one where Oh Toodles made a break behind him. My Money Honey led the pack to the quarter in :29.2, then the half in 1:00. Oh Toodles was recovering ground and picking off competitors until regaining second in the final backstretch, following My Money Honey by two lengths as he passed the three-quarters in 1:28.

Oh Toodles continued to gain ground with Smith tipping him out into the head of the stretch. My Money Honey powered home and caught the wire in 1:59.4 with Oh Toodles only a half-length behind.

Trained by Rick Huffman, this is My Money Honey’s second sub-2:00 mile of the 2019 fair season, the first being three weeks ago in a 10-1/2 length victory at Humboldt on Aug. 11. While other competitors are showing their wear in the 11 race Iowa-Registered season (this is race eight), the 3-year-old son of Sneaky B Skipalong continues to improve for owners Rick Huffman and his granddaughter Kayveona Johnson.

Iowa racing moves north to Humboldt next weekend, Sept. 7 and 8, with a 12:30 p.m. post time each day.