from the USTA Communications Department

Columbus, OH — Sophomore trotting filly Lifetime Pursuit, who won four straight starts in August, setting or equaling stakes and world records along the way, has been named Horse of the Month by the United States Trotting Association.

The Brittany Farms homebred is a daughter of Cantab Hall-Queen Of Grace and is trained by Jimmy Takter. Yannick Gingras and Brett Miller were her drivers during the month of August. Lifetime Pursuit has won six of 11 starts in 2014, with earnings of $481,791.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Lifetime Pursuit was a winner in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks in a world-record 1:50.4.

In her first start of the month, on Aug. 2 in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks at Meadowlands Racetrack, Lifetime Pursuit, sent off at odds of 10-1 with Gingras in the bike, won by 2-1/2 lengths over favorite Designed To Be in a world-record 1:50.4. The time broke the world record for a 3-year-old filly trotter on a mile track, which was 1:51, set in 2013 by Bee A Magician.

Lifetime Pursuit, leaving from post seven, got the early lead and led the field to the first quarter in :26.3. Shake It Cerry, who started from the second tier in post 11, took the top spot on the backstretch as the group reached the halfway point in :55.1. Coming off the final turn, Shake It Cerry led, with Lifetime Pursuit sitting behind her and Heaven’s Door on the outside. Lifetime Pursuit powered to the front and pulled away, with Gingras punching the air triumphantly well before the finish line.

As impressive as she was in capturing the Hambletonian Oaks, Lifetime Pursuit was just as dazzling Aug. 12 at The Meadows when she matched the world record of 1:51.3 for her age, sex and gait on a five-eighths-mile track in a $99,997 division of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes. Lifetime Pursuit brushed to the front past the quarter for Gingras and drew away them there, reeling off fractions of :28.2, :56.2 and 1:23.1 for a time of 1:51.3. That time equaled the world record held jointly by Check Me Out and Designed To Be.

Next up for Lifetime Pursuit was a $92,179 Casual Breeze division at Mohawk Racetrack. In that race, she cruised to a stakes record victory of 1:52.1. Lifetime Pursuit and Gingras put on a show as she separated herself from her rivals and trotted effortlessly to a 3-3/4 length victory. Designed To Be finished second, while Cantabs Fortune held on for third. The clocking of 1:52.1 was not only a stakes record, but it also equaled the track and Canadian records co-held by Check Me Out and Bee A Magician.

Lifetime Pursuit continued her incredible hot streak Aug. 29 at Mohawk by winning a $96,916 division of the Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Leaving from post six with driver Brett Miller, Lifetime Pursuit cleared to take control at the half-mile pole in :56, trotted by the three-quarter pole in 1:24.4 and turned for home without much challenge from her six other rivals. In the stretch, she never allowed her rivals to get any closer than a few lengths and strolled home to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:53.4. Sweetie Hearts finished second, while Chivaree Hanover was third.

Following the Simcoe, Myron Bell, the racing manager for Brittany Farms, told WEG’s Mark McKelvie that Lifetime Pursuit is a third generation filly for the farm.

“We bought a daughter of Me Maggie back about 20 years ago and her name was Prime Mistress and she won about $20,000 on the racetrack and had a record of about (1):58,” said Bell. “Her daughter is the dam of this filly and three generations later it’s paid off.”