by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan, NJ — Lucky Chucky and Costa Rica, both bred by the Perretti Farms of Cream Ridge, N.J., swept the 2-year-old trotting stakes on Sunday, Sept. 6, at Harrah’s Chester.

Scott Cantor photo

Lucky Chucky was a 1:56 winner for John Campbell in the Valley Victory.

Lucky Chucky, a son of Windsong’s Legacy-Aerobics, had the lead at every call and captured the $450,000 Valley Victory by a length over Pilgrims Taj in 1:56 in the tenth race. Two races earlier, Costa Rica, a daughter of Muscles Yankee–Examination, scored in the $450,000 Goldsmith Maid, holding off In The Mean Time, also by Muscles Yankee, in a stakes record 1:56.2.

John Campbell was at the lines for the Chuck Sylvester-trained Lucky Chucky. The trotting colt now has five wins in six starts this year, including divisions of the Harriman, Peter Haughton elims and his Valley Victory qualifier. His only loss was a third-place finish in the $523,600 Peter Haughton Final on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands.

Lucky Chucky was able to make the front early, and John Campbell finally was able to relax him a bit until the later stages of the race.

“His manners were better and he behaved himself better than he has all year,” offered the Hall of Fame driver. “He’s getting more seasoned and he seems to be figuring out he doesn’t have to do it all in the first half.”

Up the backstretch, Pilgrims Taj (Michel Lachance) began a first-over bid, pushing Lucky Chucky a bit to the three-quarters in 1:28 before mounting his strongest run for the turn home.

Campbell continued, “Coming out of the last turn, Mike’s horse (Pilgrims Taj) gave me another run, and I had to ask my horse to trot home all he could.”

Lucky Chucky responded immediately to a mere shake of the lines and a couple taps of the whip, holding off Pilgrims Taj and a re-rallying Temple Of Doom (David Miller) in 1:56.

Campbell concluded, “I think he’s figuring out that if he relaxes the first half, he’ll have more in the second half.”

A $10,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase, he has banked $330,596 for Sylvester and partners Neal Goldman and Amy Lynn Stoltzfus.

World Wide Racing Photos

Costa Rica scored in the $450,000 Goldsmith Maid in a stakes record 1:56.2.

Costa Rica, driven by Ron Pierce and trained by Jimmy Takter, was a $23,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase who has been first or second in all nine starts this year, earning $557,230. Her victories included both New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship Finals — the $200,000 event at the Meadowlands on July 23 and the $100,000 at Freehold on August 26. She also won her Merrie Annabelle elim before finishing second in the $525,800 final on August 8. Costa Rica is owned by Christina Takter and John and Jim Fielding.

The Muscles Yankee filly cleared the front at the head of the backstretch, and immediately pulled away, holding clear by 2-1/4 lengths. In The Mean Time held second from a rallying Barham Hanover, and Bar Slide was unable to sustain her first-over bid, stalling on the far turn.

— Harrah’s Chester Publicity also contributed to this report