Lexington, KY – Southwind Chaska returned from her lifetime-best performance in last week’s Bluegrass Stakes to gut a front-stepping 1:52.1 victory in the first of three divisions for the $324,000 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies – a division sponsored by the Tactical Landing Syndicate and Hickory Lane Farm – on Saturday (Oct. 4) at The Red Mile.
Sent the even-money chalk, Southwind Chaska (driven by Tim Tetrick) eased to the lead through a :28.2 first quarter and cleared control from Busy Miss Lissy S (James MacDonald) when straightening for the backstretch. Southwind Chaska rolled unfazed to a :56.3 half but faced pressure once Creator (Dexter Dunn) pulled off the cones from fourth moving for the last turn. Creator levelled off in her challenge after three-quarters in 1:25, giving Busy Miss Lissy S clearance to angle for a late attack in the stretch.
Tetrick kept Southwind Chaska to task and she quickened enough to hold onto victory from Busy Miss Lissy S’s persistent push by a head while Emmas Mystery CCL (Andy McCarthy) kicked down the center of the track for third and Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy) closed from second over for fourth.
“She was so nice after [her win],” trainer Jim Oscarsson said after the race. “I jogged her all week and she was fantastic, so we put her in again and it was good. I knew that was a speedy horse sitting behind [Busy Miss Lissy S], so I was a little worried about it. I wasn’t sure once the finish line came, but she was good.”
Winning her sixth race from eight starts, Southwind Chaska has accrued $237,625 in earnings for owners Oscarsson Racing Stable Inc. and John Cummins. The Tactical Landing-Southwind Chai filly paid $4.14 to win.
Carve (Andy McCarthy) forged forward as her rivals tired and landed as the 3-5 favorite in a 1:52 mile to take the second division for freshman trotting fillies – a division sponsored by the Captain Corey Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.
Andy McCarthy slid to the top before a :27.4 first quarter and cruised up the backstretch while being shuffled into third. Jailbird Jog (James MacDonald) steadily progressed in her bid out of post 9 to take the top from Lainey W (Scott Zeron) heading to a :55.1 half, and once MacDonald slowed the tempo, McCarthy tipped Carve off the pylons to attack into the last turn. Carve overhauled Jailbird Jog past three-quarters in 1:23.2 and held her ground in the stretch to notch a half-length win. Madam Cheval (Tim Tetrick) closed to take second with Sparks (Ake Svanstedt) rallying between horses for third and Jailbird Jog tiring to fourth.
Noel Daley trains Carve, a Captain Corey-Alpine filly, for lessees Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable and Sjoblom Racing. The filly collected her second win from 10 starts, has now earned $216,791 and returned $3.52 to win.
McCarthy and Daley also paired for victory in the final division for freshman trotting fillies – a division named “The Green Manalishi” sponsored by Tara Hills Stud – with the Gimpanzee-Tiffany Dany IT filly Zaheera, reaching for the line in time for a 1:53.2 win.
Zaheera raced seventh in the nine-horse field to a :28 first quarter cut by Atlantic Summer (Yannick Gingras) and stayed put until finding cover to follow from Brattitude (Todd McCarthy) up the backstretch. Next Big Think (Dexter Dunn) then angled outside from fourth and charged towards Atlantic Summer passing a :57.2 half. Dunn zipped by tiring Atlantic Summer and opened a cushion at three-quarters in 1:25 before shortening stride through the homestretch.
McCarthy launched Zaheera from second over and reeled in the laboring leader in the closing eighth. She then staved off a late bid from Respect N Honor, who ripped down the center of the track but settled for second. Maya Patel Hanover was third off a stalking trip and Frattina Diablo S (Scott Zeron) weaved out of a pocket trip for fourth.
“She’s had a pretty good year,” Andy McCarthy said after the race. “She’s kind of been her own worst enemy sometimes, but she had a good day today. She gave me a workout, that’s for sure. She’s definitely a very fast filly and hopefully she puts it together at 3 because she has plenty of ability there, for sure.”
Zaheera won her second race from eight starts and has now earned $101,685 for owners Allister Stables, Harbor Racing Stables, Noel Daley and Sjoblom Racing. She paid $7.06 to win.