by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager
Lexington, KY — The Saturday night (Oct. 8) card at The Red Mile featured two $130,000 divisions in the Glen Garnsey Memorial for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
The first division saw Strike An Attitude rally late to score in 1:48.4, equaling the world record for a 3-year-old pacing filly on a mile track. Dave Palone was in the bike for trainer Robert McIntosh, who co-owns with C S X Stable and Jerry Silva. The win was the third in 13 starts this year for Strike An Attitude and the winner’s share of the purse lifted the daughter of Western Hanover-Strike A Balance’s 2011 earnings to $284,344.
Drop The Ball and Yannick Gingras fired out of the seven hole and took the lead at the opening quarter in :27.4, with Idyllic second and Strike An Attitude third. The leaders remained in the same order though subsequent fractions of :54.1 and 1:21.4.
Strike An Attitude found racing room at the head of the lane, then came charging down the middle of the track and just caught Drop The Ball at the wire. Rocklamation (Brian Sears) was third and Idyllic (David Miller) was fourth.
“I knew I was where I needed to be, behind the two best fillies,” said Palone. “The Red Mile is a really tough test to win on the front and I thought if it turned into a sprint and I could keep her close enough and not lose her, I know that she can gun down anybody. Anybody can outsprint anybody here if they get the right trip at the right time.”
The 1:48.4 clocking for Strike An Attitude equaled the world mark set by Dancinwiththestarz at Meadowlands Racetrack in 2010.
The second division saw Krispy Apple rally from fourth place at the top of the stretch to defeat Swinging Beauty in a time of 1:50.1. Tim Tetrick was in the bike for trainer Mark Kesmodel, who co-owns the filly with Jeffrey Bamond and Joseph Davino. Krispy Apple, a daughter of Western Ideal-Apple Krisp, was a winner for the tenth time this year in 16 starts, lifting her 2011 earnings to $520,130.
Krispy Apple got away fourth as Ace Of Pace was the leader through fractions of :27, :54.2 and 1:23.1. Pretty Katherine made a first over move at the three-quarter pole and took over second place, and Krispy Apple followed that cover while still fourth.
Down the stretch Krispy Apple found racing room and powered to the front, then held off the late rally of Swinging Beauty (Doug McNair) who finished second. Myluvmylife was third for Brian Sears.
“It worked out; I couldn’t have asked for a better trip,” said Tetrick. “She’s wicked fast this mare; her speed kind of gets away from her sometimes. She’s been three-quarters in 1:19, 1:20 at the Meadowlands and she feels like she’s doing it in 1:24. She’s a really good mare, she’s fast and she went a really good race today.”