Chotat Milk stays undefeated with Arden Downs win
August 12, 2004,by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows
Meadow Lands, PA — Chotat Milk remained undefeated in her three race career, dominating her division of the $96,830 Arden Downs Stake for two-year-old filly pacers on Wednesday night at The Meadows. Her time of 1:551 was the fastest winning mark in the stake’s five divisions.
The event was part of Adios Week at The Meadows, five consecutive days of Grand Circuit racing capped by the $500,500 Coors Delvin Miller Adios on Saturday. A record 27 three-year-old colts and geldings will contest The Adios.
Other winners in the Arden Downs, a stake known as the Fred Jamison, were Sugar Glider, Blue Jean Hanover, Sister J and Ambootia. Dave Palone piloted three of the victors — Sugar Glider, Sister J and Ambootia.
Chris Gooden Photo
Chotat Milk and Brett Miller won the fastest of Wednesday’s Arden Downs divisions.
Chotat Milk, who captured divisions of the Hanover and Tompkins-Geers stakes from post position eight, enjoyed a better draw in the Fred Jamison. Leaving from post two with Brett Miller, the daughter of Jate Lobell got away second, made a quarter-pole move to the lead and coasted home. Play For Real was two and a half lengths back in second, with Magical Western third.
“She’s had so few starts that it’s hard to get a grasp on how good she’ll be,” Miller said. “But I was impressed by how easily she won. She might be a little better from off the pace. She loses a little interest on the lead; you have to keep after her. From off the pace, she wants to pass horses.”
Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains and co-owns Chotat Milk with Jay Corey and David Habeger.
The victory by Sugar Glider was just as facile. Also sired by Jate Lobell, Sugar Glider got every call and drew off to win by four and a quarter lengths over Allamerican Apex. Labor Of Love was a length further back. Palone had high praise for the youngster.
“She’s as good a filly as I’ve ever sat behind,” Palone said. “I saw an opportunity to maybe steal some fractions and get everybody seated. She was a perfect lady about rating. Sometimes you worry about the Jate Lobells being a little warm, but she’s got all the manners in the world. When I kicked the plugs out in the last turn, she absolutely exploded.”
George Berkner trains Sugar Glider for Alan M. Kirschenbaum.
Chris Gooden Photo
Blue Jean Hanover was a wire-to-wire winner on Wednesday.
Blue Jean Hanover, a filly who’s endured such hardships as interference by a fallen head pole, made her own luck in the Fred Jamison, taking her field wire-to-wire and scoring in 1:563. Onherhonor Hanover and Stick Up completed the ticket.
It was in a July 2 Pennsylvania Sires Stake that the daughter of Dragon Again got up close and personal with a head pole; she was declared a nonstarter that race. She was impeded yet again in a Reynolds Memorial division at Pocono, but managed a third place finish.
“She raced a lot in the early afternoons and was bothered by shadows,” said Randy Bendis, who trains Blue Jean Hanover for Frank and Susan Castelli. “Tonight was the most comfortable she’s been warming up. She was on her game, and I thought she’d go good tonight.”
Fittingly, the Castellis acquired Blue Jean Hanover at last year’s Adios yearling sale for $6,000, a price that now seems a bargain.
Palone and Ambootia worked out a two hole trip that nearly did them in when the leader, Roller Cam, broke stride at the top of the stretch.
“I had to swing my bike a little sideways to miss the breaking horse,” Palone said. “I knew I had a lot of pace, but I don’t know if I could have passed the leader if she hadn’t run.”
Ambootia, a daughter of Jenna’s Beach Boy who took a division of the Debutante at The Meadowlands, is trained by Joe Holloway, who co-owns with Hill View Enterprises and T H Stable. She paced in 1:561, with Rollover and Panne Ala Vodka second and third, respectively.
Sister J made a quarter-pole move to the front, but the daughter of Cambest found herself shuffled to third in the ensuing battle for the lead. She sat patiently until Palone asked her for pace at the top of the stretch, then cruised to a two and a quarter length victory over Tarport Erin. You’re Welcome finished third.
“She’s a handy filly,” said second trainer Tony Alagna. “You have to watch her when you first get her in gear in the turns. She’ll put a little step in now and then. But you won’t find a filly who tries harder. Dave said it was like driving a little golf cart.”
Judith E. Davis bred and owns Sister J, a full sister to Peyote, who will compete in The Adios on Saturday.
Thursday’s Arden Downs features at The Meadows are The Henry Oliver for two-year-old colt trotters and the Ned McCarr for three-year-old filly trotters.