by Kimberly Rinker, managing editor, Hoof Beats

Campbellville, ON — Longshot Moving Pictures exploded in the late stretch to win the $363,000 Breeders Crown Open Mare Pace in 1:51.2 for driver Mark MacDonald on Saturday night (September 1) at Mohawk Racetrack.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Owners Mike Lindley and Steve Calhoun celebrate with trainer Casie Coleman and driver Mark MacDonald after Moving Pictures won the Mare Pace.

The 4-year-old daughter of D M Dilinger notched her seventh win of the season for trainer Casie Coleman, and owners Steve Calhoun and Michael Lindley of Chatham, Ontario.

“I’ve been in the Breeders Crown three times before and have never won it, and it seems like we always get the ten-hole,” Coleman noted. “This is just an unbelievable feeling and she raced great tonight.”

“The mare never gets an easy trip,” Coleman added. “She hasn’t missed a check all year long but has never had an easy time of it.”

Moving Pictures left the gate at 9-1 and trailed the field, led by Armbro Dancer (Ron Pierce) to a :26.3 first quarter, through the :55.2 half and past the 1:23.3 three-quarter-mile marker.

“She’s a very lazy mare who really doesn’t like to train,” Coleman said. “She’s had an abscessed tooth all year that we’ve been working on, and other than that, she’s been okay.”

In the stretch, however, she blew by her rivals like they were standing still, passing second place finisher Double Dream N (Tim Tetrick), show-finisher Free (David Miller) and fourth-place earner Invitro (Paul MacDonell).

“I had to take a shot with her,” driver Mark MacDonald noted. “In these races you rarely get a good shot, and with the mares being this tough, it was imperative that I moved her when I did. She’s got a great late kick and coming off that last turn, I was still last and just hoping for a good check. I’ve always wanted to win a Breeders Crown before and to do so now, well, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

Moving Pictures pushed her career earnings past the $1 million mark with the victory, and scored her first win since she paced to a 1:53 clocking at Georgian Downs on July 14.

“I’m stunned she paced home that great,” owner Steve Calhoun noted. “I was just hoping for a fifth; I didn’t think she’d be able to pace home that quick. She was awesome. That was one of the better last quarters I’ve seen any horse pace. That was an amazing mile. We’re thrilled for sure. Last week she had a little bit of a tooth problem and was kind of on one line. We didn’t know if Casie would have it fixed up this week, but Casie assured us that she had. She showed it tonight. All the credit goes to Casie. She did a great job with her, for sure.”

“I have a huge picture of her in my office,” Calhoun added. “I’ve already measured out room for another one, so I’ll be getting one for sure.”

The rest of the field finished as follows: Darlin’s Delight, Armbro Dancer, Ideal Weather, My Little Dragon and Marine Hall. Vysoke Tatry had been scratched on August 30.