Lucky Chucky Captures Canadian Trotting
Classic

After finishing second to Muscle Massive
in the Hambletonian earlier this year, Lucky
Chucky got his rematch and came out on top
this time around winning the $1 million
Canadian Trotting Classic for three-year-old
trotting colts in a stakes and track record
time during an action-packed Saturday night
program at Mohawk Racetrack.
Pilgrims Taj (Mike Lachance) made an early break while Take My Picture (Andy Miller) fired to the lead from Post 9 with Temple Of Doom (David Miller), Muscle Massive (Ron Pierce) and Lucky Chucky (John Campbell) filling the top spots.
After a :26.4 opening quarter, Pierce
sent the Hambletonian winner to the lead.
Muscle Massive reached the half in :56 while
Campbell sent Lucky Chucky after his rival.

Muscle Massive and Lucky Chucky battled
head-to-head past three-quarters in 1:24.2,
but this time is was Lucky Chucky who edged
away in the stretch. The son of Windsongs
Legacy-Aerobics charged home to win in
stakes and track record time of 1:52.2 over
a track downgraded to "good" and one second
off. Break The Bank K (Brian Sears) shot up
the rail to finish two lengths behind in
second with Muscle Massive settling for
third.
“Drawing inside [Post 1], I was pretty sure we were going to be first up,” said Campbell, who won the Canadian Trotting Classic in 1983 with Joie De Vie. “As long as you don’t use him too hard in that first quarter he gives you a great effort even without the cover and he certainly proved that tonight.
“This is a great win for him," continued Campbell. "It’s a million-dollar race and there’s only a handful of those during the year and we’re fortunate enough to get one.
“Chucky [trainer Chuck Sylvester] and I, we’re best friends and certainly Troy Sylvester, Chuck’s son who passed away, was a big part of this colt training down and owned a piece of him and so there’s certainly a lot of emotion every time this horse races. We think of Troy all the time, but especially when we get to the winner’s circle with Lucky Chucky.”
Lucky Chucky notched his fourth win in seven starts this year for trainer Chuck Sylvester and owners SGS Partners of Williamstown, Perretti Racing Stable LLC of Cream Ridge, New Jersey, and the Lindy Racing Stable of Enfield, Connecticut. His other major wins include the Colonial at Harrah's Chester and Zweig Memorial Trot at Tioga Downs. Lucky Chucky's earnings climbed to $1.2 million for 2010 and $1.9 million lifetime.
He paid $4.10 to win as the even-money favourite.
Sylvester indicated that the winner has a busy schedule in the next month or so.
"He'll get a week off, then prepare for the Breeders Crown [at Pocono Downs], then go to the Red Mile for the Kentucky Futurity. It'll be tough from here on out."
