Midland, MI — Six of the eight divisions of the $164,200 Spartan Stakes, held Saturday (Aug. 15) at the Midland County Fair, resulted in new lifetime marks for their respective winners.
Westwinds Yahtzee not only completed a double for trainer/driver LeWayne Miller with her 2:00.4 career-best win in the 3-year-old filly trot, but she also scored her second victory in as many days over the Midland half-mile oval.
The Celebrity Pegasus-Keep The Cash filly, who competes as a homebred for Samuel Eicher, rode the pocket behind divisional leader Weezabouttofindout (driven by David Lake) through splits of :30.4, 1:01.1 and 1:31.3 before angling off the pegs at the top of the home straight and using :29 stretch speed to prevail by three-quarters of a length, not 20 hours after posting a 2:03 win in a Michigan Colt Stakes Blue Division event.
Miller’s other Spartan Stakes winner was 2-year-old pacing colt Ride Or Dye, who parried a sustained challenge from LV Victorious before downing pocket foe Kirk by a length in a career-best 1:59.2 for L & S Racing.
Driver Don Harmon and trainer Krista Harmon teamed up for a double, putting new lifetime marks on 2-year-old trotting filly Snoop Doll, who swept three-wide up the backstretch en route to a one-length decision over Westwinds Gold in 2:04.1; and 3-year-old trotting gelding As Big As You, who mounted a first-over push and sprinted clear of Fire Bell by 5-1/4 lengths to win in 2:03.
Brad Kramer also posted a driving double, teaming up with 2-year-old trotting gelding Life Blue Bayou for a 2:02.3 score for trainer Maurice Goldschmidt Jr., and 2-year-old pacing filly All The Best for a 1:58.3 win for trainer Tim Roach.
Completing the Spartan Stakes winners were 3-year-old pacing filly Ima Victorious, whom Ty Goodell steered to a 1:59.1 win over Sallysmokingun for trainer Peter Otten; and 3-year-old pacing gelding Allamerican Beach, who sustained a first-over push to upend What Ma Says by two lengths in 1:57.2 — the fastest mile of the meet — for driver Art McIlmurray and trainer Al Tomlinson.
The two-day Midland stand began Friday (Aug. 14) with a 10-race Michigan Colt Stakes Blue Division program. Three driver/trainer tandems posted doubles: Jack Griffith drove LeWayne Miller trainees Westwinds Yahtzee and 2-year-old pacing colt Westwins Eagle (2:02.1) to victory; driver Rick Dobson and trainer Monica Krist partnered to sweep the 2-year-old male trotting divisions with Prince Of Paris (2:09.2) and ABC Moons Raptor (2:08.3); and Ty Goodell scored with 2-year-old pacing filly Krypto Key (2:03.4) and 3-year-old pacing gelding Hardt Faught (2:00) for trainer Kelly Goodwin.
Racing moved to Alpena, in the northern end of the state, on Sunday (Aug. 16) with an 11-race Michigan Colt Stakes Green Division card. Tim Roach led all horsepeople with a training and driving grand slam, winning with: 2-year-old trotting filly ENA Sally’s Girl (2:15.2), 2-year-old pacing filly Fluke Affair (2:03), 2-year-old pacing gelding Letsgo Captain (2:06.2) and 3-year-old pacing gelding Captain Butch (2:02.2).
The Michigan fair circuit returns to action next Sunday (Aug. 23) and Monday (Aug. 24) at the Oceana County Fair, in Hart, Mich. Post time both days is 4 p.m. (EDT).