by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Williamsport, PA — Undercover Lover, Pennsylvania’s 2006 freshman filly trotting champion, may be one of the best bargains in harness racing history. The dark bay filly, purchased for $3,700 at the 2005 Tattersalls New Jersey Mixed Sale, has earned $223,790 and has seven victories from 16 career starts.

Lori Castranuovo, a native of Colts Neck, New Jersey and the filly’s owner/trainer, felt she was able to buy the filly so cheaply because January is not usually a strong market for young horses.

“People are just not looking for babies then,” Castranuovo said.

Undercover Lover is by Tagliabue and out of Go Undercover by Valley Victory. Her pedigree is what attracted Castranuovo’s interest.

“We looked at about 20 babies but I liked her breeding,” Castranuovo said. “Especially the Valley Victory on her dam’s side. I have a half brother to her and if he ever comes around he will be just as good as she is.”

Foto Won photo

Ron Pierce drove Undercover Lover to a victory in the 2006 Matron final at Dover Downs.

As a 2-year-old, Undercover Lover swept the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes, including the $100,000 final at Pocono Downs, wired the field in the $211,275 Matron final and finished ahead of the talented Pampered Princess in the $410,000 Goldsmith Maid final.

The filly began her sophomore campaign at the Meadows on May 5 by annexing a $19,336 division of the Stenographer-Pennsylvania Sires Stakes. Showing no signs of rust after a five-month vacation, the filly went to the lead and trotted away from her competition.

It wasn’t quite as simple in her next start.

On May 11, Undercover Lover finished last in a Lady Suffolk division at Freehold after an eventful trip.

“She started out her season great,” Castranuovo said. “She broke at Freehold and then she hit the gate. She throws her head a bit before a race and she threw her head at the wrong time. She got caught in the pack and her driver (Ron Pierce) tried to three-deep it with her but they were going a :28 quarter and she had to go even faster to catch up. It just didn’t work out.”

After more than a month between pari-mutel starts, Undercover Lover returned to the races on June 14 in a $22,866 Keystone Classic division at The Meadows. After leading the field throughout the mile, she made breaks in the stretch and at the wire in finishing fourth.

The filly’s next start has yet to be determined.

“I go race by race and I have not decided yet where I want to go with her,” Castranuovo said.

Castranuovo, a former barrel racer, has been training for nearly seven years.

“I always had riding horses and I was involved in barrel racing,” she said. “One of the girls that owns the farm that we are on used to barrel race too and that’s how I got involved with Standardbreds.”

The 41-year-old trainer never imagined she would own a horse as classy as Undercover Lover.

“I worked for Ross Crogan and Paul Jessop, but I always had cheap horses, $4,000 claimers and horses like that,” Castranuovo said. “She (Undercover Lover) is pretty much the horse of a lifetime.”