Lexington, KY — The Sweet Lou-Warrawee Winx filly Topville Lucky added another win to her nearly perfect record with a 1:50.4 performance to take the second of three divisions of the $246,000 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Filly Pace – a division sponsored by the Beach Glass Syndicate and Winbak Farm – on Thursday (Sept. 25) at the Red Mile.
Leaving from the pylon post, Topville Lucky (driven by Dexter Dunn) cruised into fourth approaching a :28.1 first quarter and sat patiently behind a shuffle up the backside, in which Bettor Be A Star (David Miller) emerged on top after pulling off the pylons from third. Bettor Be A Star hoisted the field by a :56.1 half, at which point Dunn tipped outside and advanced towards the front with Topville Lucky, who loomed nearer passing three-quarters in 1:24.1 and edged to a narrow lead in a three-high battle to the line. Topville Lucky held firmly for the win by a neck over Gracious (Todd McCarthy), who slipped through a seam at the pylons off a pocket trip but settled for second. Bettor Be A Star finished between horses in third, and Carnation (Tim Tetrick) checked in fourth.
“I was nervous when we saw the three-quarter pole in 1:24 and you know that they’re going to go in [1:]50 and change,” said trainer Andrew Harris, who obtained the filly from trainer Erv Miller and co-owner Doug Overhiser ahead of her win in the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final on Sept. 14. “It’s a little bit iffy when you see those kinds of fractions, but she showed she’s got some guts.”
Harris shares ownership of Topville Lucky, a five-time winner from six tries with $336,000 banked, alongside Bill Pollock and Bruce Areman. Off the 1-9 chalk, she paid $2.26 to win.
Tony Dinges’ Tall Dark Stranger-Nashville Elgenna pupil Nash (Marvin Luna) broke her maiden by registering the fastest mile of the three Bluegrass filly pace divisions with a 1:50.1 effort while pulling a 14-1 upset in a division sponsored by the Beach Glass Syndicate and Winbak Farm.
Luna laid back in third with Nash as 3-2 second choice Hope Hill (Dunn) brushed by 4-5 favorite On Heir (Andy McCarthy) to take the lead passing a :28 first quarter. Hope Hill carried the field up the backstretch to a :56.1 half and pushed the pedal into the last turn with On Heir giving the closest chase rushing by three-quarters in 1:23.4. McCarthy angled outside with On Heir and downed Hope Hill turning for home but wavered once in front and nearing the final eighth of a mile. Luna fanned to the center of the track with Nash off a ground-saving trip and gathered momentum to make a late attack. Nash overpowered On Heir in the last strides to win by a neck while Hope Hill tired to third and JK Sassy Lady (Todd McCarthy) checked in fourth after a mild first-over push.
Nash, winning her first race from seven starts and increasing her career earnings to $65,550, competes for owner Jerry Glantz. She paid $30.62 to win.
Amira Hanover (Joe Bongiorno) intently tracked pacesetter and odds-on favorite Big Weekend (Tetrick) for most of the mile before surging outside and wading off closing rivals for a 1:51.2 win in the first Bluegrass filly pace division, sponsored by Brittany Farms.
Bongiorno planted Amira Hanover on the point heading to a :28.4 first quarter but yielded control once confronted by Big Weekend into the backstretch. Big Weekend grabbed the lead and coasted to a :56.3 half all while Amira Hanover followed locked on Tetrick’s helmet moving into the turn. After three-quarters in 1:24.2, Big Weekend hit the ropes and started shortening in stride heading for home. Bongiorno swung outside with Amira Hanover and cajoled his charge to hold sway to the finish, successfully doing so by 1-1/4 lengths. Rocksy (Andy McCarthy) closed from last for second with Kissedbyastranger (Yannick Gingras) rallying in the two-path for third and Interstellar (Marvin Luna) also closing ground but taking fourth.
“I was just glad to have Joey back in the bike,” said John Fodera, who shares ownership on Amira Hanover through In The Gym Partners. “The other guys have done a great job with her, [but] Joe knows her so well and has really had a lot of patience with her. We’re prepping her for the Kindergarten at the Meadowlands and just spreading out her races. That’s the kind of trip she likes – she likes to sit the pocket and pull at the end.”
A filly by Papi Rob Hanover-Ameraway, Amira Hanover collected her second win from six starts and has now earned $68,650 for owners Let It Ride-Chodash, Patrick O’Brien, Joe Sbrocco and In The Gym Partners. Joe Bongiorno conditions the filly who paid $10.72 to win.