Delaware, OH — Soft Shot, a supplemental entry, equaled a divisional world record in her elimination and used a gate-to-wire effort in the final to win the $310,000 Jugette, for 3-year-old filly pacers, on Wednesday (Sept. 18) at the Delaware (Ohio) County Fair.
When the field of eight was sent on their way in the $260,000 final, they paced the first three-eighths of a mile in post-position order with Soft Shot (David Miller) and My Girl EJ (Dexter Dunn) pacing one-two.
As the field passed the grandstand the first time, the pocket-sitting My Girl EJ experienced an equipment break, broke stride and was taken to the outside.
“I was getting pretty easy fractions anyways, and Dex, I don’t know if he was starting to move or what exactly happened, but I looked back and saw she made a break and whatever horse was out there already, it took them right out too,” said Miller.
The break caused confusion in the back of the pack and gave Soft Shot a five-length lead at the half in :56.1.
A Few Choice Words (Jim Marohn Jr.) tried to close the gap at the three-quarters in 1:23.4, but Miller and Soft Shot used a :27.1 final panel to score the 1:51 victory.
“The half flashed up :56, and I let her pace a little bit up the backstretch,” Miller continued. “I heard a horse coming to her, but I called on her at the head of the lane and she had horse left.”
A Few Choice Words edged out Odds On Platinum (Todd McCarthy) for second, 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner.
My Girl EJ was pulled up and did not finish.
When asked if this was the greatest day in his racing career, winning owner Paul O’Neil, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., noted, “Nothing even comes close. It’s surreal. It’s like something that couldn’t possibly happen.”
Trainer Jessica Roegner and O’Neil also won an Ohio Fair Racing Conference pace earlier on the card.
The connections of Soft Shot made the $15,000 entry payment just to make the Heston Blue Chip filly eligible for the 54th edition of the pacing classic.
“We were here for the fun,” exclaimed Roegner. “She was just amazing.”
The first elimination was a gate-to-wire effort for Soft Shot in 1:49.3, a time that equaled the stakes, track and world record, set by Party Girl Hill in 2020.
A Few Choice Words came out of the pocket to challenge, but couldn’t get closer than the final margin of 1-1/2 lengths.
The field’s other supplemental entry, Dandy’s Mercy (Scott Zeron), was third, and Donegal Spirit (Todd McCarthy) was the final horse to advance to the final.
The only bad news for Soft Shot’s connections today was that their piece of the world record lasted only about 35 minutes.
In the second $25,000 elimination, My Girl EJ lowered the mark to 1:49.1.
The heavily favored homebred daughter of Sweet Lou used her rail position and towed her stablemate Lou Lou (Yannick Gingras) through the first three-quarters of the mile.
Odds On Platinum (Todd McCarthy) came off the rail in third as the field headed down the backstretch the final time and finished second. Lou Lou was third and Hunting Hula (Andrew McCarthy) was fourth.
My Girl EJ is trained by Ron Burke, who co-owns with Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Elizabeth Novak.
With the Jugette win, Miller moves into a second-place tie with three driving titles.
Soft Shot has now won 11 of 14 starts this season and is 13-for-20 lifetime. With her $142,500 payday, her career earnings jumped to $245,078.
When asked what was next for her and the filly, a jubilant Roegner noted, “to just get through the night.”
In undercard action:
$80,000 Buckette (3-Year-Old Filly Trot)
Sadbirdstillsing (Todd McCarthy) used a backstretch, three-wide move and swept past Nymeria (Matt Kakaley) and HL Omaya (Harry Landy) to score a 1:54 victory. Nymeria held on for second and Pizza Bianca (Andy Miller) rounded out the trifecta.
The winner is trained by Tony Alagna for Crawford Farms Racing and Pryde Stables. With the win, Sadbirdstillsing increased her career bankroll to $371,984.
$55,000 (div.) Standardbred (2-Year-Old Filly Pace)
Odds On Hialeah (Dexter Dunn) used a perfect pocket trip and sprinted past Papi Grad (Brett Miller) by three-quarters of a length in the first division. The final time of 1:51.4 established a new stakes record.
The homebred daughter of Lather Up is owned by Odds On Racing and Let It Ride Stable. She won for the fifth time in six career starts.
In the second $27,500 division, Odds On Chesapeake (Dexter Dunn) came from off the pace to collar the pacesetting Blessed Hanover (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) by a length in a lifetime best 1:52.4.
The daughter of Downbytheseaside won for the third time this year for Odds On Racing.
Virgil Morgan Jr. trained both winners.
$53,000 (div.) Standardbred (2-Year-Old Filly Trot)
Nikki Strikes (David Miller) established a new stakes record of 1:55 in the second division of the Standardbred for freshman filly trotters. The Father Patrick filly is owned and trained by Burlin Brower.
The pacesetting Country Victory (Scott Zeron) was three-quarters of a length back in second, and Blueberry (Todd McCarthy) rounded out the trifecta.
Can It Be Magic received a patient drive by Mike Wilder and scored a three-quarter-length victory over Payback Moni (Brady Brown) in 1:57.4 in the first division.
Dan Altmeyer trains the Cantab Hall filly for Ruth Altmeyer, June and Thomas Durand, and Heather Wilder.
$133,000 (div.) Ohio Breeders Championship (2-Year-Old Filly Trot)
Dream Something (Tyler Smith) continued her recent streak of winning every other start when she crossed the line a half-length ahead of Mega Money (Aaron Merriman) in 1:56.3. Mocha Hill (Chris Page) finished third but was off stride. Travel Nurse was promoted to third and Mia Sangria (Dan Noble) was elevated to fourth.
The winner is trained by Miles Wollam who also co-owns with Julie Ann and Dale Sweet. She was bred by Johanna Beaver, Michael Carter and Mary McLaughlin.
In the second $66,500 division, trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. continued his hot day by scoring an upset with 11-1 Aunt Laura (Brett Miller) in 1:58. The Uncle Peter filly took a new lifetime mark for owner-breeder Joyce McClelland. Up (Chris Lems) was less than a length back in second. Triump Over You (Trevor Smith) was third.
$36,000 (div.) Ohio Breeders Championship (4-Year-Old and Up Trot)
Refined (Dan Noble) defeated six opponents and took the OBC Aged Trot by two lengths over a pocket sitting Caviar Gold (Aaron Merriman) and My Pal Sparky (Cameron McCown). The final time of 1:53.2 equaled the stakes record.
The 8-year-old Uncle Peter mare is owned by the partnership of Joyce McClelland and Larry Wills. She is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and bred by Walnut Hall Stock Farm.