by Darin Zoccali, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Staten Island, NY — This past weekend saw New Jersey-sired pacers take center stage at The Meadowlands, while Lis Mara stole the show with another monstrous mile at Mohawk. But on Friday, June 1, the racing world may have taken a peek into the future as a beautifully bred 3-year-old filly trotted her way to a series sweep at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y.

Fred Brown photography

Keystone Celeste held off Beryl’s Flight in the Southern Tier Trotting Series final.

Keystone Celeste, a daughter of Yankee Glide-Keystone Chickadee, looked to put the finishing touches on the Southern Tier Series at Tioga Downs. Not only did she head into the series final sporting a four-race win streak, but throughout the series she was never headed at any point, always in command.

Sweeping the eliminations by a combined 15 lengths, ‘Celeste’ drew the outside post nine (eight following a scratch). Owner, trainer and driver Todd Schadel didn’t let the tough post change his game plan.

“She was stung a bit in the first quarter,” said Schadel. “The tough draw made her go a little quicker early than I would have liked.”

Keystone Celeste made the lead in fractions of :28.2, :58.3 and 1:27.4.

“When we turned for home, I knew she was under some pressure, but she just fought that other filly off,” Schadel said, referring to the surge of Beryl’s Flight in the last eighth of a mile.

Keystone Celeste hit the wire a neck in front, stopping the timer in 1:57.3, just one-fifth of a second off the track record.

As for her future plans, Schadel stated in a post race interview with Jason Settlemoir, “There are some stakes in New Jersey she will be headed to in the near future.”

Heading to New Jersey will not be something new for Keystone Celeste. Her first career race, following three qualifiers at Rosecroft, was the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 2-year-old filly trotters on July 13, 2006 at The Meadowlands, where she was sent off the 7-10 favorite, but made a break.

She danced some big dances at 2, including the Merrie Annabelle and Harold Dancer, but had a tough time overcoming her breaking problems.

However with those problems clearly behind her, this season’s venture to the spotlight of the Big M should be a more successful one.

In addition to Keystone Celeste, Todd Schadel also owns a percentage of Hambletonian winner Vivid Photo, who qualified once again last Friday at Tioga Downs in 1:54.4. Schadel added “he seems ready to go and we’re are all looking forward to his 5-year-old season.”

He will start this Saturday night in the Classic Series at Mohawk.