by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association

Delaware, OH — Showherthemoney capped an eventful day with a straight heat victory in the $350,000 Jugette for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 23), following a last-to-first win in her division of the first heat with a front-stepping, one length victory in the second and final heat at the Delaware County Fair.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Showherthemoney (2) scored a straight heat victory in the $350,000 Jugette for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 23) with a one length victory in the second and final heat at the Delaware County Fair.

Winning driver Jim Morrill, Jr. put her right on the lead just before the opening quarter pole — no doubt happy that the daughter of Cam’s Card Shark and 1997 Jugette champion Stienam’s Place didn’t break stride at the start, as she had in her division of the first heat. She stepped through fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:25, on the way to a 1:53 victory. She had won her first mile on Wednesday in 1:53.2.

“She was amazing today,” trainer Tracy Brainard said in the winner’s circle. “We took the hobbles up a little bit this time.”

The 3-2 favorite was virtually unchallenged as a result of the change and Morrill’s aggressive drive, and provided the young trainer with the biggest win of her career.

Ginger And Fred (Dave Palone), the winner of the first elimination division, was pocketed through much of the mile after getting away in good order, and finished second by one length, ahead of Kiss Me Kate (John Campbell).

Showherthemoney, who was bred by Green Mountain Farms of New Jersey and Kentuckiana Farms General Partners of Kentucky, has now won eight of 17 and $497,160 this year, and nine races and $524,881 in her career. Jim Morrill, Jr. drove his first Jugette winner on Wednesday.

“She was a totally different horse (in the second heat),” said Morrill. “She never felt like she was going to make a mistake. She scored down perfect in the post parade; off the right line. Every time I asked her she came right up into me and was ready to do everything I asked of her. With only one leaver it worked out good to put her in and put her to the front.

“I felt my filly was the best today. I know Dave Palone is an excellent driver and horseman and I know he watched the elimination and he would be looking to follow me and I think today it worked out for both of us.”

“We just got the filly three weeks ago,” added Brainard. “We had her last year, so we knew she was a nice filly and then Bulletproof (owner Bulletproof Enterprises) sent her to us again three weeks ago. We raced her at Freehold; we raced her at Lexington; she was good down there and that’s when we decided to bring her here.”

Ginger And Fred, Showherthemoney win Jugette elims

Ginger And Fred and driver Dave Palone were not content to take a seat early in the first elimination division of the $350,000 Jugette on Wednesday afternoon and won in 1:53.3.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Ginger And Fred and driver Dave Palone won the first elimination division of the $350,000 Jugette on Wednesday afternoon at Delaware, Ohio in 1:53.3.

After Pedigree Snob (Jim Morrill, Jr.) sprinted away from post six, Palone moved the winner out of the two hole with a quick move at the quarter pole, reached in :26.2, and came clear from that point home. The winning margin was 1-1/4 lengths.

John Campbell steered West Of L A to the first-over position at the half, timed in :55.2, but was unable to menace the winner and finished a tiring fourth, but advanced to the second and possibly final heat.

Off a three-quarters timed in 1:24, Special Sweetheart (David Miller) came four wide in the stretch to finish second, and Kabbalah Karen B (Mark MacDonald) also came wide in the stretch to pass tiring horses and finish third.

Ginger And Fred, the even money favorite, won for the seventh time in 13 starts this year, and gave Palone a leg up on the third Jugette victory of his career.

Palone noted that Ginger And Fred got a bit lazy on the lead, something he didn’t want to see in the second heat.

“We want to shake her up in the (next heat),” Palone said. “We’re (trainer Ron Burke) going to try an equipment change and put some blinkers on her, to make her more aggressive. It’s Jugette Day at Delaware and we want to come out swinging.”

Co-owner Howard Taylor said, “I finished second in this race (with Jennie Fanetta in 2003), and we’ll go on to the second heat and see how it goes — but (Ginger And Fred) definitely got the job done.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Showherthemoney broke stride before the start but came on to win the second of two eliminations for the Jugette in 1:53.2.

Showherthemoney made the crowd gasp and then cheer, when she broke stride 20 yards before the start but then came on to win the second of two eliminations for the Jugette. The winning time was 1:53.2, one-fifth of a second faster than the opening elimination.

The 1-9 favorite began to break moments after the gate opened, and driver Jim Morrill, Jr. settled her into sixth in the field of seven at the quarter, reached in :27.1. Warrawee Kay (Ron Pierce) led the field past the next two stations, in :55.3 and 1:24.2, while Showherthemoney was gathering herself for a dramatic move.

At the three-quarters, Morrill moved Showherthemoney to the outside, and she appeared fresh, fit and powerful while moving to the lead in the middle of the racetrack. Kiss Me Kate (John Campbell) who was in the two hole through the early part of the race, finished second, a head behind the winner and 2-1/2 lengths ahead of Warrawee Kay. Cams Van Go (David Miller), who had moved first-over at the half, tired a bit but advanced after finishing fourth.

Showherthemoney, who won the Nadia Lobell and a division of the Shady Daisy in her two most recent starts, has won seven of 15 this year under the direction of trainer Tracy Brainard. The question handicappers might have is whether she will have enough left in the tank for the second heat.

“I’ve only driven her one other time and that was on a half-mile track at Freehold, and she never offered to do any of that (break stride),” driver Jim Morrill, Jr. said. “I don’t know if you noticed, but she was doing it going into the gate. I thought maybe once she picked up speed she would be okay, but we were going pretty hard into that turn. I’m sure they’ll make some changes for the final, maybe take up her hopples a little bit. They will have her ready to go. I think we will be okay.”

Trainer Tracy Brainard, fighting back tears, said, “It was scary. It was an emotional rollercoaster because she had so far to go, and I didn’t know if she could get there. She had a great week and drew the rail, so we were very happy with everything.

“She’s a little grumpy. She can be tough, but she’s tough on the track, too,” Brainard concluded.