by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association

Those who remember what George and Brenda Teague accomplished with Rainbow Blue are no doubt already counting the days until Isabella Blue Chip returns to the races in 2007.

The talented daughter of Bettor’s Delight, the star among the Teagues’ freshman contingent in 2006, won the Three Diamonds Final this past weekend, and is now getting a winter’s worth of R&R in Delaware. It’s likely that she will be the favorite of voters in the divisional Horse of the Year balloting being conducted between now and December 20 — and might even draw some stray votes for Pacer of the Year or even Horse of the Year.

The idea is not far-fetched based upon her performance line: Isabella Blue Chip ended her freshman form with eight wins, three seconds, two thirds, and $658,585 won in 15 starts, and the title “world champion” is also written on her resume in the wake of a 1:53.1h win in a division of the Standardbred at Delaware, Ohio.

“I think she’s the leading candidate for it (2-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year),” George Teague, Jr. said in the Meadowlands winner’s circle following her win in the Three Diamonds this past Saturday night. “She’s not let us down. She’s got a long way to go to be Rainbow Blue; I’m not putting that on her.”

But her growing number of fans may do just that.

She certainly has exceeded her famed predecessor’s freshman numbers — by a mile. Rainbow Blue won six of seven freshman starts, and $102,674, although her year came to an end earlier than expected, after a Sept. 13 win in a leg of the Maryland Standardbred Race Fund at Rosecroft.

The $40,000 purchase at the 2005 Standardbred Horse Sale was bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock, Inc., and is now owned by Only Money, Inc. (Patrick and Marianne Callahan), and Teague, Inc. (Brenda and George Teague, Jr.).

The fast filly lowered her life mark to 1:51.2 in winning the $439,000 Three Diamonds Final by 1-1/4 lengths, putting an exclamation mark on what was a brilliant season — one which now carries anticipation of even greater things in 2007.