from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Isabella Blue Chip will seek to become only the fourth filly to possess both the Sweetheart and Three Diamonds crowns when she joins seven other 2-year-old fillies in the $439,000 Three Diamonds Final at the Meadowlands.

Seven of the eight pacing fillies eligible for the final will meet in a $20,000 prep, carded as the fifth race this Saturday night (Nov. 25), sharing the stage with a pair of $20,000 elimination races (second and third races) to determine the final 10 in the $450,000 Governor’s Cup for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

The Sweetheart and Governor’s Cup, along with the trotting events — the $432,700 Valley Victory for colts and the $410,000 Goldsmith Maid for fillies — make up the $1.7 million Fall Final Four at the Meadowlands on December 2.

The Sweetheart Pace each August at the Meadowlands has showcased the best of the 2-year-old pacing fillies and on three occasions since that stake debuted in 1979, the winners have returned to capture the Three Diamonds — Freedom’s Friend in 1993, Immortality in 1992 and Miss Easy in 1990. Those three had two things in common — they were driven by John Campbell and trained by Bruce Nickells.

Isabella Blue Chip, who leaves from post five and is rated the 5-2 second choice in Saturday night’s prep, is trained by her co-owner George Teague, Jr.

“Physically, Isabella Blue Chip has always been one of the soundest horses I have, hardly any physical issues with her at all,” said Teague, who flew into the national spotlight with another fast filly, 2004 Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve made it this far with her and continued on. In Canada, she had a bleeding issue, and it forced her to miss the Breeders Crown. That’s why we put her on Lasix. But the time off certainly didn’t hurt.”

Isabella Blue Chip, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight, comes into the Three Diamonds with six wins, three seconds and two thirds from 13 starts and earnings of $429,083.

She took her lifetime mark of 1:52.2 in winning the $435,000 Sweetheart on August 4, and set a half-mile track world record of 1:53.1 in the Standardbred on September 21 at the Delaware (Ohio) Fairgrounds.

She was fifth in the Matron Final at Dover Downs in her last start on November 11.

“She didn’t get the best of trips at Dover,” said Teague. “But she came out of the race fine, and I thought she deserved a shot at this final.”

Teague is having another banner season with 95 wins, 41 seconds and 47 thirds from 329 starters and earnings of more than $2.7 million.

“It’s hard to top Rainbow Blue and the 2004 year, that’s for sure,” Teague noted. “But overall, with Total Truth, Western Ace, Mr Apples, Isabella Blue Chip, and even a couple of trotting fillies that won a stakes here and there for us, it’s been a better year money-wise. The traveling to different stakes at different tracks all over has been fun, too. It was a lot of work, but no complaints.”

Meadowlands Racing Insider spotlights Fall Final Four

This weekend’s Meadowlands Racing Insider puts the spotlight on the elimination races and preps for the Fall Final Four, the $1.7 million in 2-year-old stakes on December 2 at the Meadowlands.

This weekend the trotters and pacers will be competing in preps (where all advance to the final) or eliminations to reduce the fields to the top 10 for the four stakes.

Host Mike Curci interviews trainers Jimmy Takter, George Teague, Jr., Scott Bell and Robby Siegelman, all with entrants in one or more of the four stakes — the Three Diamonds, Governor’s Cup, Goldsmith Maid and Valley Victory.

Additionally, Hall of Famer Mike Lachance will discuss his trio of Breeders Crown wins this year and his plans for 2007.

Curci and Darin Zoccali also will share their Horses to Watch and Bob Heyden will provide Backstretch Buzz for the online radio program which airs on www.sportsnetamerica.com and can be linked through www.thebigm.com.