USTA/Mark Hall photo

Costa Rica captured the $98,025 Buckette for 3-year-old trotting fillies in 1:56 on the Wednesday (Sept. 22) Jugette Day card.

Driver Ron Pierce left alertly with last year’s freshman filly champion and set all the tempo on the way to a 1:56 victory for owners Christina Takter and John and Jim Fielding and trainer Jimmy Takter. The mile was a divisional national season’s record on a half-mile track.

The daughter of Muscles Yankee and the SJ’s Caviar mare Examination, bred in New Jersey by Perretti Farms, won her fifth race in 11 starts this year, and with the winner’s portion of the Buckette purse has now won nearly $1.25 million in her career.

Full Tank (Brian Sears) and Up Front Juansteen (John Campbell) followed Costa Rica to the wire on Wednesday, in that order.

“She is a tough lady, this girl,” trainer Jimmy Takter said after Costa Rica’s win. “You know she danced every dance last year, and then came back this year to account for nearly $300,000 after she had — I don’t know what it was — an insect bite on her throat that blew up terrible — and that was going into the Hudson Filly Trot. She could hardly jog and she still finished fourth.

“She is just an incredible filly and to be owners and the trainer of her — she’s a special girl. She’s a sweetheart and just does everything right. She’s a professional.

“We will see how she comes out of this race and make a decision on Monday or Tuesday, or whenever they draw for the Breeders Crown. I have a few days to make a decision.”