from Meadowlands Media Relations

East Rutherford, NJ — Latte Lady and Crystal Slipper won their respective $20,000 elimination races on Thursday night and will be joined by eight other two-year-old pacing fillies in the $443,200 Sweetheart Final on August 6 at the Meadowlands.

Latte Lady ($8.80, $3.80, $3.00) scored a one and three-quarter length victory over the 3-5 favorite Up Front Norma ($2.60, $2.20) in the fifth race, the second of the two elims. A Call To Mind ($2.80) was third by two lengths.

Latte Lady, driven by David Miller and trained by Joe Seekman, covered the mile in 1:55⁴, posting her third win in three career starts. The daughter of Jenna’s Beach Boy races for the L&L DeVisser LLC, Steel A Mile LLC and Jerry Machiela LLC, all of Holland, Michigan.

“She had a great trip, a real nice kick in the end to win it,” said Miller. “It’s hard to say how she’ll do in the final, but I think she has a real good shot.”

“She hasn’t had a good week,” said Dave Palone, the driver of Up Front Norma, who had won her prior four starts. “We thought she had a little cough. I wanted to race her from behind. But once I saw Miller (David Miller with Latte Lady) pull ahead, I just concentrated on getting her qualified.”

Blueridge Mosaic (fourth) and Hank’s Girl (fifth) also qualified for the final.

In the first elimination, carded as the third race, Crystal Slipper ($3.80, $2.20, $2.10) improved her record to three wins in six starts with a two length tally over Fox Valley Shaker ($3.80, $2.60). Midnight Sin ($3.60) was third by two and a half lengths. Crystal Slipper, driven by Brian Sears and trained by Bill Popfinger, paced the mile in 1:54¹.

“She seems like a real nice filly,” said Sears, who was driving her for the first time. “I imagine Cat (Manzi) will drive her next week. She should do real well then. She’s a big filly who likes to pass horses.”

The Artiscape filly races for the Piermont Farms of Piermont, New York.

Ifyoucouldcwhatic and Jated Dawn finished in the top five and earned spots in the final.

In a prep race for the $450,620 Merrie Annabelle Final on August 5, Hawaiian Delight won by half a length over Traci Spur in 1:59². Southwind Catlin, who won the $150,000 New Jersey Sires Stakes Final on July 22, finished third. All nine fillies in the prep race will meet again in the final of the Merrie Annabelle for two-year-old trotting fillies.