by Dean A. Hoffman

Lexington, KY — Passionate Glide suffered her first defeat of the season on Friday (October 6) but rebounded to win the Kentucky Filly Futurity in a race-off at The Red Mile.

The defeat was inflicted by Queen Serene and trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer when they set a world record of 1:52 for sophomore trotting fillies in the second heat.

Passionate Glide pulled away in the stretch to win the race-off in the Kentucky Filly Futurity.

Driven by Ron Pierce for trainer Jimmy Takter, Passionate Glide, a daughter of Yankee Glide, gained revenge against Queen Serene in the race-off when she trotted easily past her in the stretch to win in 1:53.

The racing fans gathered at The Red Mile on a cold and windy day gave the filly a warm reception after her game three-heat victory. Passionate Glide is currently the top-ranked horse in the Hambletonian/Breeders Crown poll and is thus on target for possible Horse of the Year honors.

Pierce won plaudits from the crowd when he put the reins in his left hand during the stretch drive and waved good-bye to Queen Serene and Trond Smedshammer as Passionate Glide zoomed past them.

Passionate Glide is the homebred pride and joy of George Segals’s Brittany Farm of Versailles, Kentucky.

In her elimination heat, Passionate Glide waited patiently behind Queen Serene and Susie’s Magic as they trotted through sizzling fractions. When the leaders began to come back to him in the third quarter, driver Pierce simply angled Passionate Glide to the outside and passed them without any apparent effort. Her time of 1:52.2 was only a tick off the world record for sophomore trotting fillies set by Continentalvictory in 1996.

The second elimination heat was taken by Four Starz Lindy as driver Brian Sears scored a carefully-measured win with her in 1:54.3 over Workout Doll.

In the second heat, Queen Serene took command after the first quarter and held off Passionate Glide’s determined stretch bid to win in a 1:52 world record.

Mark Hall photos

Ron Pierce waves to the crowd after Passionate Glide’s win.

That set up the race-off between the three heat winners, but Four Starz Lindy was scratched.

Smedshammer sent Queen Serene to the front at the start and yet was no match for Passionate Glide’s sprint through the homestretch. The fractions went in :28.4, :57, and 1:27.3.

“Jimmy (Takter) never discusses strategy with his drivers,” said Pierce, but he admitted that he never had any worries about Passionate Glide’s chances in the race-off.

Pierce said after the race that he thinks Passionate Glide deserves to be Horse of the Year based on “her victory today, and what she’s done all year long.” He also said that he believes that Passionate Glide ranks with Moni Maker and Continentalvictory as one of the greatest trotting females of recent decades.