Berlin, MD — Maryland’s top 2-year-old trotters and pacers took center stage Sunday night (Sept. 6) at Ocean Downs, contesting four $100,000 Maryland Sire Stakes finals on a night that featured dominant favorites, major upsets and a driving double for Roger Plante Jr.
While four different juveniles left Ocean Downs as Maryland Sire Stakes champions, the performance of the night belonged to Nobody Knows It, who simply overwhelmed her rivals in the $100,000 final for 2-year-old trotting fillies.
Nobody Knows It Breaks Her Own Stakes and Track Record
There was little suspense once the wings of the starting gate folded in the $100,000 Maryland Sire Stakes final for 2-year-old trotting fillies.
Sent off as the overwhelming 1-20 favorite, Nobody Knows It and driver Corey Callahan blasted immediately to the front and never looked back.
The daughter of Betting Gangster S-Goo Luck Charm opened an eight-length advantage at the quarter in :28.4 and continued to control the race through fractions of :57.4 and 1:27.
Nobody Knows It entered the stretch five lengths clear and then poured it on, trotting home in :29 to stop the clock in 1:56, winning by an emphatic 9-1/2 lengths over stablemate That’s It For You, who finished second in 1:57.4.
More impressively, the 1:56 performance broke her own Maryland Sire Stakes and Ocean Downs track record, adding another milestone to an already remarkable freshman campaign. She had previously established the standard, only to return on championship night and lower her own mark when the $100,000 final was on the line.
The fractions underscored just how dominant the performance was. Nobody Knows It trotted quarters of :28.4, :29, :29.1 and :29 — essentially carrying her speed throughout the entire mile over the Ocean Downs half-mile oval.
Richard Hans trains, owns and bred Nobody Knows It.
In The Worst Way Springs the Night’s First Upset
The evening began with an upset in the $100,000 Maryland Sire Stakes final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
The heavily favored Wings Of Warning, sent away at 2-5, made an early break from post 2 and was never a factor, opening the door for the remainder of the field.
Lil Gerald established the early tempo, taking the field through the opening quarter in :30.1 and the half in 1:01.3. My Mago moved to the front approaching three-quarters, reaching that station in 1:32.3.
Meanwhile, In The Worst Way had remained within striking distance for driver Corey Braden.
Fourth and 4-1/4 lengths from the lead at three-quarters, the son of Il Mago-Greatestofease began closing in on the leaders before taking command in the stretch. He finished strongly to score by three lengths in 2:03.1.
Doc’s Mago rallied for second, while My Mago held third.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, In The Worst Way returned $20.60 to win. Herman Hagerman trains the gelding for Hagerman Racing.
Sweet Cougar Pounces in Filly Pace
Another upset followed in the $100,000 final for 2-year-old pacing fillies, where Sweet Cougar turned a well-timed first-over move into the biggest victory of her young career.
With Roger Plante Jr. in the bike, Sweet Cougar settled fourth during the early stages as R U Kidding and favorite All That Rusty battled for position. All That Rusty took control before the half and led through a half of :59.1.
Plante then put Sweet Cougar into motion. The daughter of Cougar Hall-Classic Mosee advanced first-over and was alongside the leader at three-quarters in 1:29.2. By the head of the stretch, Sweet Cougar had taken command. From there, she drew away to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:59.2, pacing her final quarter in :30.
If I Win Uwin finished second, with 29-1 outsider Dapper Dudette completing the trifecta. All That Rusty, the 2-5 favorite, faded to fifth.
Sweet Cougar rewarded her backers with a $14.20 win payoff. Joseph Offutt trains Sweet Cougar and owns and bred the filly in partnership with Karen Offutt.
Shootout Gives Plante a Sire Stakes Double
Plante wasn’t finished. He returned later in the evening and completed a Maryland Sire Stakes driving double aboard Shootout in the $100,000 final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Unlike his come-from-behind trip with Sweet Cougar, Plante wasted no time putting Shootout on the engine.
The son of Wearinmysixshooter-The New Americana left from post 5 and secured the lead before the opening quarter in :27.4. Plante was then able to give his colt a breather through a :30.3 second quarter, reaching the half in :58.2.
Shootout remained in command through three-quarters in 1:28 while favorite Cash Is Better tracked him closely from the pocket. The showdown developed exactly as expected through the final turn. Cash Is Better remained within striking distance, but Shootout had enough left with a :28.2 final quarter to turn back Cash Is Better by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56.2. He’s Got Talent finished third.
Shootout, sent off as the 6-5 second choice, returned $4.60. Steve LeBlanc trains Shootout for owners Glenn Dyke, Leblanc Racing Inc. and James Stuart. Dyke also bred the colt.
“Go West, young man”
Maryland Sire Stakes will now take the estimated 138-mile trip across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Exit 4a off the beltway to Rosecroft Raceway where action will occur for all divisions. Preliminary legs will be raced on Sept. 21, 24, 28, and Oct. 1 leading up to Showcase of Champions Night on Sunday, Oct. 11, when $800,000 in purse money will be up for grabs.