from the USTA Communications Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Bee A Magician remained unbeaten after eight starts this year as she captured her $35,000 Hambletonian Oaks elimination for 3-year-old filly trotters on Saturday night (July 27) at Meadowlands Racetrack.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Bee A Magician and Brian Sears were 1:53.3 winners in the first Hambletonian Oaks elimination.

With Brian Sears in the bike for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee, the Kadabra-Beehive filly crossed the finish line in 1:53.3 for her 18th career win in 21 trips behind the gate. She has now earned $523,206 this year and $1,289,858 lifetime.

Starting from the rail, Bee A Magician went right to the front, but yielded to Frau Blucher (Jim Morrill, Jr.) at the opening quarter in :28.2. Sears did not sit in the pocket for long, though, and moved Bee A Magician back to the front before the :56.1 half-mile marker.

From there it was no contest as Bee A Magician took the field to the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and cruised home in 1:53.3. Ma Chere Hall (Corey Callahan) rallied late to finish second, while Frau Blucher wound up third. Fourth place finisher Handover Belle and fifth place finisher Fashion Athena also qualified for next week’s Oaks final.

“We weren’t trying to set any records or anything like that,” said Sears, “just get around there safe and out of trouble and that’s what we did. I think she’s bred to be like this and it’s all natural.”

“She’ll probably have a pretty easy week (ahead of next week’s final),” said Norman. “We trained her pretty stiff this week just to get her ready and I think we’ll probably back off a little bit and give her an easy time.

“Things can go wong in a heartbeat in this business, so it’s a relief to get that over with and get in the final.”

Mistery Woman (David Miller) won the final $35,000 elimination race for next week’s Hambletonian Oaks in a rush to the finish line on Saturday.

Lisa photo

Mistery Woman was a 1:53 winner in the second elimination.

Mistery Woman was first off the gate but Coffeecake Hanover (Jim Morrill, Jr.) hit the quarter-mile mark first in :27.4, while Classic Martine (Ron Pierce) trotted in to the lead just past the quarter.

Classic Martine led the field to the :55.4 half when To Dream On (Yannick Gingras) tipped out to challenge, but, trapped on the outside, was on the lead only briefly but could not get past the leader who tripped the three-quarter mark in 1:24.3.

As the field straightened out in the stretch, Mistery Woman was on the move from third to pass Classic Martine and To Dream On for the win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:53. Classic Martine was second and To Dream On was third. Also qualifying for the Oaks final were fourth place finisher Coffeecake Hanover and fifth place finisher Time To Kill.

Mistery Woman is trained by Jonas Czernyson and owned by Millstream Inc., Misty Miller, William Donovan and Aldebaran Park.

“It’s a horse race and anything can happen,” said winning driver David Miller of his chances to beat Bee A Magician in the Oaks final. “I followed To Dream On right up and my filly felt real good there turning for home and she did the rest.”

“We’ve got two in the Oaks (Mistery Woman and Ma Chere Hall) and I don’t know how many for the Hambo yet,” said winning trainer Czernyson. “It looks like she’s coming in to herself again and she’s good right now, so with a little luck….everybody else is pretty even (after Bee A Magician).