from the USTA Communications Department

2012 Kentucky Futurity & Filly Futurity from USTA on Vimeo.

Lexington, KY — Win Missy B was a straight heat winner in the Kentucky Filly Futurity for 3-year-old distaff trotters on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 7) at The Red Mile.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Win Missy B won the Kentucky Filly Futurity in straight heats on Sunday at The Red Mile.

Robert Key’s homebred Win Missy B captured the $100,450 second heat in a time of 1:52.1 over Personal Style and D’Orsay. Hall of Famer Ron Pierce was in the bike for trainer Charlie Norris as the Conway Hill-Winning Missbrenda filly won for the seventh time in 17 season’s starts and saw her 2012 earnings climb to $649,861. For Pierce it was his fourth win in the Filly Futurity.

Win Missy B ($4.20) grabbed the lead from Superstar Hanover after the opening quarter in :28.3. She was in command at the :56.2 half-mile marker and the 1:24.2 three-quarter pole, with D’Orsay on her heels on the outside of the track.

Down the lane Win Missy B also faced a challenge from Personal Style, but held that one at bay to score in a time of 1:52.1. D’Orsay grabbed the show dough. Superstar Hanover finished fourth and the other elimination winner, Oasis Dream, was fifth.

“I like her just the way she was,” said Pierce. “She was very relaxed today. Maybe it’s the daytime racing or the best track in the country. I think she really liked it here in Lexington.

“Her problem her whole life is she has been overly aggressive. She’s too hard on herself but last week she wasn’t bad (in a second place finish in the Bluegrass Stakes). She was much harder on herself than today.

“I really liked how she was in the first heat. I was a little concerned when I drew the rail in the second heat because sometimes that will fire them up but it didn’t seem to bother her. She was pretty much two fingers the whole way.

“That nine horse was still coming through the lane, D’Orsay. She raced huge. She was on the outside the whole way and would not go away. She was tough the whole mile. That was a huge effort.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Win Missy B upset Check Me Out in a personal best 1:52 in the second elim of the Kentucky Filly Futurity.

In the second of the two 64,575 first heat eliminations, Win Missy B upset heavily favored Check Me Out in a personal best 1:52. Pierce was in the bike as Win Missy B took over the lead heading to the half-mile marker and then held off Check Me Out at the wire.

After Check Me Out brushed to the lead past the :27.4 opening quarter, Win Missy B came first over down the backstretch and took the lead away at the :55.3 half-mile marker. Win Missy B was still on top at the 1:24.1 three-quarters, but was engaged by Check Me Out down the lane.

Win Missy B was dead game in the stretch and held off Check Me Out at the finish for the upset ($34.80) score. Personal Style was third, Bluff finished fourth and D’Orsay fifth. All returned for the second heat, except for Check Me Out who was scratched.

“We beat her (Check Me Out) once or twice last year,” said trainer Charlie Norris. “Whatever it was it feels really good (to win again today). They are both great fillies, I’m not taking anything away from either one of them.

“Hopefully we don’t get torn up this next heat. Ronnie was really happy with her and he didn’t want to change anything. I wanted to change a couple things, but if he feels that confident that’s what we’ll do.”

In the first of the two 64,575 first heat eliminations, Oasis Dream nipped Chilitodayhotamale in a tight photo finish in a lifetime best 1:53.4. Tim Tetrick was in the bike for trainer Bob Stewart as the Cantab Hall-Dream Angel miss won for the third time this year. She is owned by Fredericka Caldwell and Bluestone Farms.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Oasis Dream won the first elim in 1:53.4 with Tim Tetrick in the bike.

Oasis Dream ($27.60) took over the lead from Real Babe at the :57.3 half-mile marker and then took the field to the three-quarters in 1:26.1. The winner was engaged by a first-over Superstar Hanover at the three-quarter pole and then Chilitodayhotamale who followed that cover into the lane.

Down the lane Oasis Dream was game and won a tight photo finish over the fast closing Chilitodayhotamale with Superstar Hanover third. Real Babe and Canadian Justice finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Canadian Justice was scratched from the second heat.

“She set a record on a five-eighths (1:54) and it just depends on the mood she is in,” said trainer Bob Stewart. “She did bleed her last start in PA so we gave her some time off and I really thought she would race well in Delaware. She didn’t but she’s raced real well here.

“In Delaware she had a slow last quarter and it was fillies I thought she would beat and she had everything her own way and still didn’t respond. It was there to grab and she didn’t grab it like today, where she dug in and won. She beat most of the horses she was racing against in Pennsylvania so we had optimism.”

—– Kimberly French also contributed to this report