Lady Shadow leading lady in distaff pacing Crown
October 28, 2016,by James Witherite, Meadowlands Racing media
East Rutherford, NJ — Lady Shadow ($2.40) asserted her superiority in the $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace, pushing clear of arch rival Solar Sister early and evading her foes en route to a 1:49.4 victory, her 11th of the season.
USTA/Mark Hall photo
Lady Shadow casts her foes aside in the $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace.
The 5-year-old Shadow Play mare stalked the top flight from the two-path on approach to the first turn before pushing to the fore after Solar Sister (Doug McNair) won an early duel with Frost Damage Blues (Brett Miller) through a :27 first quarter mile. Once clear, Yannick Gingras maintained a strong and consistent pace with Lady Shadow through middle sectionals of :54.2 and 1:21.4, in fact, edging away upon approaching the home straight.
Despite all-out encouragement in the final eighth while now contending with a prevailing headwind, Lady Shadow maintained 2-1/4 lengths clearance over Sassa Hanover (Matt Kakaley), who rallied off stalled cover to claim the runner-up spot. Frost Damage Blues found room to vacate traffic in mid-stretch to save third over the tiring Solar Sister.
Trainer Ron Adams was more than pleased with how Lady Shadow has matured from her 4-year-old campaign.
“She’s had a good year this year, a career year, actually,” remarked Adams.“She had issues when she was younger, made miscues behind the gate, and it cost her a lot of money early on in her career. But she’s put that behind her, she’s turned in to a really nice mare. She likes the big track and she likes the speed. Speed is her game and she gets to use it here.
Lady Shadow, now a 27-time winner, is owned by the partnership of Kryway, Atley, Gold, and the BFJ Stable. For Gingras, the winning drive earned him his second Breeders Crown title of the night. In July, Lady Shadow set the world record for pacers at 1-1/8 miles over the very same oval, winning the Golden Girls in a scintillating 2:00.3.
- Hannelore Hanover captures her Crown (Friday, October 28, 2016)
Hannelore Hanover (Yannick Gingras) sprinted away from the field in the last eighth of a mile to win the $250,000 Breeders Crown for trotting mares in 1:53.3 by two lengths on Friday night (Oct. 28) at the Meadowlands.
- Always B Miki repeats in Breeders Crown Open Pace (Friday, October 28, 2016)
The much-anticipated showdown between the top two harness horses in the world lived up to the hype as Always B Miki forged ahead by three-quarters of a length to upend 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit to capture his second straight $421,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace on Friday (Oct. 28) at The Meadowlands.
- Flanagan Memory is an upset winner in Breeders Crown Open Trot (Friday, October 28, 2016)
Flanagan Memory and driver Brian Sears flushed out heavily favored Resolve past the half and then just waited their turn to wear down the field to win the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot in 1:52.1 by a length on Friday (Oct. 28) at The Meadowlands.
- Marion Marauder looks to add another Crown for Wellwood family (Saturday, October 29, 2016)
There is a lot on the line for Marion Marauder heading into this year’s Breeders Crown – the chance to further stamp himself as a Horse of the Year candidate with a victory in the $500,000 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot and enhance his value with a pending stud deal.