by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

Freehold, NJ — Lindy’s Big Bang and driver David Miller inherited the lead just prior to the three-quarter-mile point from an off stride On The Ropes and remained in front from there to win Saturday’s (May 5) $133,800 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old trotters by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56.1 at Freehold Raceway.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Lindy’s Big Bang won Saturday’s $133,800 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old trotters.

Don finished second and Perlucky was third, although both needed to survive inquiries to maintain their spots. Don’s inquiry was for possible interference while Perlucky was examined for compliance with the breaking rule after going off stride nearing the finish line.

On The Ropes, who was the race’s 3-5 favorite, led from the start from post No. 1, with driver Dan Dube posting fractions of :28 for the opening quarter-mile and :58.1 for the half. As the horses made their way up the backstretch heading for the final turn, On The Ropes made a break, leaving Lindy’s Big Bang on the lead.

Lindy’s Big Bang fended off challenges from Don to his outside and Perlucky in the passing lane to earn his second victory in three starts this season.

“We got a bit lucky there,” winning driver Miller said. “My horse still felt strong when Danny’s horse ran; I think we would have given him a run. My horse was good today.”

Also going off stride in the race was last week’s Dexter Cup elimination winner Vic’s Winner, who made a break on the final turn while in fourth place. Maxus, who was the field’s leading money-winner, was scratched injured.

The Dexter Cup is the first stakes race on the road to August’s $1.2 million Hambletonian. Lindy’s Big Bang, though, is not eligible to the Hambletonian.

“Last year, he was just an average colt,” Miller said. “This year he’s come back with a better attitude and seems to be a lot stronger. We thought we would take a shot here and it worked out.”

Miller co-owns Lindy’s Big Bang with Mel Hartman and David McDuffee. The gelding, a son of Explosive Matter out of Lindy Of My Dreams, is trained by Richard “Nifty” Norman. He has won four of 15 career races and earned $117,233. He was bred by Lindy Farms of Connecticut.

Lindy’s Big Bang paid $13.00 to win.

World Wide Racing Photos/Helene Gregory

Special Miss lives up to her name with a victory in Grand Circuit competition on Saturday afternoon.

Steve Smith, who on Friday drove the 4,000th winner of his career, won the $66,400 Lady Suffolk for 3-year-old female trotters with longshot Special Miss at Freehold. Special Miss, sent off at odds of 21-1, nipped D’Bomb by a nose at the wire after following that filly for most of the mile. Natalie Hanover was third.

D’Bomb, trained by Ron Burke and driven by Yannick Gingras, led the field through fractions of :28.2, :58.1 and 1:28.2 before yielding in the final stride to Special Miss, who took the inside passing lane to victory.

“It’s a great trip when you’re following a Burke horse in a stakes races,” Smith said. “Yannick was a little hesitant with how he was going to get through the turns, so he had to be a little easy, but once he got through the first turn he said ‘I’ve just got to go.’ I just stuck to his head and got sucked into the race.”

Special Miss, a daughter of Lucky Chucky out of So Special, is owned by George and Tina Dennis Racing and trained by Joseph Columbo. The Brittany Farms-bred filly has won two of 10 career races and earned $44,775.

On Friday, Smith got win No. 4,000 with Nora’s Tandt at Freehold.

“Now we’ve just got to dig in and keep going until the next one,” Smith said.