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Autumn
Escapade Equals World Record In Ms Versatility Final
David Miller was visibly pleased this afternoon at Ohio's
Delaware County Fair after he drove Autumn Escapade, a mare he co-owns with
his wife, to a World Record-equalling 1:53.2 mile in the $93,500 final of
the Ms Versatility Trotting Series.
 Taking
nothing away from the Ohio-bred daughter of Victory Sam,
Autumn Escapade
competed with a field of five other top aged mares.
Forced to due battle with stars Buck I St Pat, Southwind Wasabi, Yursa
Hanover, Windsong Soprano and Elusive Desire, Autumn Escape didn't just win,
she did all the work herself in a solid gate-to-wire performance.
Starting from Post 1, the career winner of 21 of 70 races
sprinted the opening quarter in :27.4 before clicking off the half-mile
timer in :57. She rolled by the three-quarters station in 1:25.1 and was on
her game when her rivals swelled up in the lane.
Having come home with a :28.1 final quarter, Autumn
Escapade hit the wire first. In doing so, she tied Mystical Sunshine's
1:53.2 World Record, which came over the county grounds in 2007.
"Buck I St Pat has beat us every time, so when she came …
nothing is ever for sure. My mare felt good the whole way. When I asked her,
she actually had something left. At the top of the stretch I pulled the
plugs and she took right off."
Windsong Soprano (driven by Ron Pierce) made a bid in the
homestretch to make things interesting, but fell short and finished second.
Buck I St Pat (Tim Tetrick), who had contested the lead along the final turn,
finished third.
"We bought her off R J after her three-year-old
season and she's done nothing but good for us."
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