by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Delaware, OH —- Triumphant Caviar set a world record for 3-year-old trotting colts on a half-mile track by winning the first of two $87,000 divisions of the Old Oaken Bucket for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Thursday (Sept. 24) at the Delaware, Ohio Fair.

USTA/Jonathan Marsh photo

Triumphant Caviar set a world record for 3-year-old trotting colts on a half-mile track in the first of two $87,000 divisions of the Old Oaken Bucket.

Owned by Kerry Beaver, James Gallagher, Luc Ouellette and Paul Bernard, Triumphant Caviar is a son of SJ’s Cavair-ENS Tag Session trained by Chris Beaver. He was driven to his 1:54.2 world record clocking by co-owner Luc Ouellette. The victory was the third in 13 season’s starts for the winner and lifted his bankroll to $183,778.

Winning Mister (Dave Palone) cut the fractions in this race, taking the field to the quarter in :27.1, the half in :55.3 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3. However, after coming out of the final turn, Winning Mister veered immediately to the outside, allowing Triumphant Caviar an inside lane to victory. Winning Mister held for second, a half-length behind the winner, while Kibbutz Dream (Ron Pierce) was third.

“I’m very familiar with him,” said Ouellette. “I trained him down as a 2-year-old. I didn’t travel a lot with him this year because we were able to get Dave Palone and whenever you can get Dave Palone or Daniel Dube you are in good shape.

“Whenever he was close to me or whenever I could make it to a race, I was there but we were very lucky to win this race today. I’m telling you he’s had a lot of hard luck this year.

“That horse there that was ahead at the top of lane (Winning Mister), if he was alongside of me he would have knocked me out of the race and I never would have won it. We were very lucky we were not interfered with today.”

USTA/Jonathan Marsh photo

Keystone Activator came three wide on the final turn to gain the lead and then went on to a 1:55.3 triumph in the second $87,000 division of the Old Oaken Bucket.

Trillium Racing Stable and Tammie Raymer’s Keystone Activator came three wide on the final turn to gain the lead and then went on to a 1:55.3 triumph in the second $87,000 division of the Old Oaken Bucket.

George Brennan was in the bike for trainer Jim Raymer as the chestnut son of SJ’s Caviar-Armbro Blusher had his photo taken for the eighth time in 20 season’s starts. He has now earned $227,179 in ’09.

Bobbi Jo’s Lindy (Ray Schnittker) took the field to an opening quarter of :28 in this division of the OOB, before being challenged at the :56.2 half-mile marker by Up Front Prayer (Ron Pierce). These two then raced side-by-side to the 1:26.1 three-quarter pole.

Keystone Activator, who started from the second tier in post position nine, sat fourth throughout the mile, then pulled off the wood and circled the leaders on the final turn. Taking command in the lane the winner went on to defeat Even Better Odds (Tim Tetrick) with And Heez Perfect (David Miller) third. Touchdown Franco was fourth for Tyler Smith, while Bobbi Jo’s Lindy and Up Front Prayer were fifth and sixth, respectively.

“I was pretty sure I would get away good,” said driver George Brennan of his trip. “It’s (the nine hole) obviously better than the eight hole.

“I knew the one horse (Up Front Prayer) had enough gate speed to get me out there so I ended up fourth which wasn’t bad because if I had to come first over he can do that. So, no I wasn’t concerned with the nine hole, I thought he had a legitimate shot in that race.

“I have driven him on a half before at Freehold when he won the Dexter Cup elimination and then he broke in the final coming out of the eight hole but that was my fault.

“I kind of rushed him out of the gate a little bit, so I had no concerns about him getting over a half-mile track, especially this track. No concern at all, especially when they come here, it’s like a carpet; 95 percent of the horses have no problems getting over this track.”