by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — Casie Coleman’s instructions to driver Yannick Gingras prior to last Saturday’s Cane Pace were simple: Win.
But Coleman’s interest in winning was not only to see her colt Betterthancheddar notch his first major stakes victory. She needed the triumph to send Betterthancheddar to the upcoming Little Brown Jug.
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Betterthancheddar‘s connections will pay the $45,000 fee to supplement to the Little Brown Jug.
Betterthancheddar was not eligible to the Little Brown Jug, scheduled for Sept. 22 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in central Ohio. The only way a horse can be supplemented to the race is by winning the $342,875 Cane Pace, which is the first jewel in the Pacing Triple Crown. The Little Brown Jug is the second.
Coleman said the connections will pay the $45,000 fee to supplement to the Little Brown Jug.
Gingras and Betterthancheddar went to the front from post seven and then gave the top spot to Shadyshark Hanover and sat behind the leader until the stretch. Betterthancheddar passed Shadyshark Hanover on the inside and held off Townslight Hanover by a neck for the win in 1:49.2.
“I basically told (Gingras) that (Betterthancheddar) was the best and not to get him trapped in because we’ve got to win to supplement to the Jug,” Coleman said. “My only plan was to supplement to the Jug, so make sure you win. I told him to send him out of there and get a two-hole trip, and that’s exactly what he did.
“I thought the two-hole trip was going to be behind Roll With Joe, but it didn’t work out that way. But it worked out anyway.”
Roll With Joe, the 3-5 favorite from post eight, got stuck three wide on the first turn and raced outside the entire mile. He moved three wide on the backstretch to challenge Shadyshark Hanover as the field reached three-quarters in 1:20.4, but was unable to sustain his charge.
The win for Betterthancheddar was his fifth in 11 starts and pushed his earnings to $249,932.
“He was just awesome,” Coleman said. “He couldn’t have been any better. He’s been a good colt since day one. I’ve always praised him and he’s finally right and peaking right now. Hopefully we’ll have some luck in the coming week.”
Betterthancheddar, owned by Coleman’s West Wins Stable and Steve Calhoun, is a son of Bettor’s Delight out of the mare Lady Ashlee Ann. He is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Ashlee’s Big Guy and 2007 Breeders Crown champ Artist’s View. He was unraced as a 2-year-old because of sickness. He also battled illness early this year and had trouble maintaining his weight while in New Jersey for the Meadowlands Pace, where he finished 10th.
“At the Meadowlands he lost a lot of weight,” Coleman said. “I turned him out when he came home from the Meadowlands. I took him to the farm for 10 days and freshened him up and he gained about 150 to 200 pounds in a short amount of time. Now he’s back going good again.
“He finally showed who he is.”
Coleman will name George Brennan to drive Betterthancheddar in the Little Brown Jug because of Gingras’ potential commitments to other stables.
“I needed a hundred percent commitment,” Coleman said. “I think George will get along great with him. I use George a lot at Yonkers right now and he’s driving unreal.”