by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Delaware, OH — Caviart Ally got the better of a stretch duel between elimination winners, capturing Wednesday’s (Sept. 20) $163,950 Jugette Stakes final for 3-year-old female pacers by three-quarters of a length over favorite Blazin Britches in 1:51.3 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Obvious Blue Chip was third and Tequila Monday finished fourth.
Caviart Ally and Blazin Britches won their respective eliminations earlier in the day; Caviart Ally in 1:52 and Blazin Britches in 1:52.1.
Blazin Britches and driver Trace Tetrick started from post No. 1 in the final and got the lead at the start as Caviart Ally and driver Andy McCarthy settled into second and Obvious Blue Chip was third.
The horses remained in those positions through an opening quarter-mile of :27.3 and half in :55.4. On the backstretch, Tequila Monday made a first-over move and Caviart Ally pulled out from behind Blazin Britches to make her bid for the lead. After reaching three-quarters in 1:23.3, the stretch battle was set.
Blazin Britches and Caviart Ally raced side by side for several strides through the lane, but Caviart Ally pulled clear as the two horses neared the wire.
“I saw (Tetrick) timed the gate pretty good and I didn’t have any shot of getting around him,” McCarthy said about the start of the race. “I looked up coming out of the third turn and (Blazin Britches) looked a little lazy on him. I wasn’t sure how much pace he had, so I decided to take a shot and race him and it worked out.”
Caviart Ally, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight out of the mare Allamerican Cool, is owned by Judy and Buck Chaffee’s Caviart Farms. The filly was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and sold for $35,000 at the 2015 Standardbred Horse Sale.
For the year, Caviart Ally has won six of 15 races and hit the board a total of 13 times. She has won eight of 29 career starts and earned $585,000. She won this year’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship and has finished no worse than second in eight consecutive races, winning five.
“She’s got as much speed as (the other top 3-year-old filly pacers) but up until now she hasn’t had as much bottom as a couple of them,” winning trainer Noel Daley said. “We added Lasix a couple starts ago and it seems to have done the trick.”
Caviart Ally was sent off at odds of 9-5, the second choice behind 2-5 Blazin Britches, who entered the final with 10 wins in 11 races this year and is stabled at the Delaware County Fairgrounds with trainer Brian Brown.
It was the first Jugette win for Caviart Farms, Daley and McCarthy.
“I saw her put the one step in and then the second one when she was gapping a little bit on the second turn,” said Daley. “I was watching the race from the backside and John Campbell was right next to me. He even said Andy needed to pull right then. Once Andy did that she straightened right out; she was very good today.
“Between the two heats all we did was keep putting cold water on her with no blankets. That seemed to work for us and she came out of the first race just fine.
“Of course we are very happy with her today. Blazin Britches had a very tough race at Hoosier last out over that track. That might have taken just a little bit out of her. You never know. With the kind of race she had there it might have taken her a little more time to bounce back.”
Blazin Britches, Caviart Ally win Jugette eliminations
Blazin Britches won the $54,650 first elimination of the Jugette for 3-year-old female pacers in 1:52.1 on Wednesday (Sept. 20) at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Obvious Blue Chip finished second, followed by Terrortina and Rockin Serena to advance to the final.
Sent off at odds of 1-9, Blazin Britches (Rock N Roll Heaven-Soggy Britches) and driver Trace Tetrick went to the lead on the first turn and never looked back, winning by 2-1/4 lengths. The filly, who has won 10 of 11 races this year, is trained by Brian Brown and owned by breeder Emerald Highlands Farm.
Blazin Britches set fractions of :28.1, :57 and 1:24.4. Obvious Blue Chip tried to challenge heading around the final turn, but was unable to get within striking distance.
“I wanted to be on the move to the front by the backside to try to control the race,” Tetrick said. “I had plenty of mare left; it was just trying to get her to pay attention. She kind of got to daydreaming there a little bit.
“She loves her job. When it was time to race she wanted to go forward.
“She was a little headstrong earlier on and Brian went ahead and changed bits on her. Since then she has been perfect. She really loves her work.”
Caviart Ally romped to victory in the second $54,650 Jugette elimination, winning by open lengths in 1:52 for driver Andy McCarthy and trainer Noel Daley. Caviart Ally, the 8-5 favorite, led every step of the way. She pulled away from her rivals on the backstretch and was unthreatened from there.
Tequila Monday finished second, followed by Idyllic Beach and Ella Christina to reach the final.
Caviart Ally set fractions of :27.1, :56.3, and 1:23.4 on her way to victory.
“She’s very handy off the gate,” McCarthy said. “You just have to chirp to her a little bit and she will get out of there as much as you want to. That definitely helped. She actually got a little bumpy on me coming out of the third turn. I think we were going too slow; she just wanted to get going. I had to let her pace out a little bit to get her smoothed out and she was good.
“Over the last few months she has become much stronger,” added McCarthy. “I used to always race from off the pace for that reason but I don’t have to anymore. They did add Lasix as well, so that may have helped, but she is coming into her own.”
— Kim French contributed to this report
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