Major Athens wins fastest division in Bluegrass colt trot
Freshman trotting colts were in the spotlight on Friday night (Sept. 28) at The Red Mile as four $101,000 divisions of the Bluegrass Stakes were contested.
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Major Athens (6) was fastest among the Bluegrass Stakes
colt winners |
In the
opening division, Thomas Brice and Charles Receski's Major
Athens rallied in the final strides to nip the previously
unbeaten Mystical Dew in a time of 1:56.3 over a 'good' track.
Pine Credit was third.
Brian Sears was in the bike behind Major Athens ($4.80), who
is trained by Rich Gillock. The victory was the seventh in 10
lifetime starts for the homebred son of
Andover Hall-Miss Athens, who took his lifetime bankroll to
$299,856.
"I think
I bit off all my fingernails," said co-owner Thomas Brice of
watching the late rush of Major Athens. "He's been in the lead
most of his races and tonight it was a race from behind. It
shows he can come from behind.
"We're
just happy to have Brian being our driver and Rich Gillock is a
great trainer for us. So we've been real lucky this summer.
He'll hopefully race (at The Red Mile) next week in the
International (Stallion Stakes).
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All
Laid Out (2) was a long shot winner in the second
division, at 11-1 |
In the
second Bluegrass division,
Noel Daley's All Laid out and driver James Rattray came
flying down the stretch to nip My Man Can in a time of 1:57.1.
Heavilly favored Fashion Blizzard checked in third.
The win
was the second in four lifetime starts for the son of
Yankee Glide-Adelaide Hall, who is also trained by
Noel Daley. All Laid Out has now earned $57,875. He paid
$24.60 to win.
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Creatine (2) has now won three of six as freshman after
his division three win on Friday |
The third
Bluegrass division saw Diamond Creek Farm's Creatine and Hall of
Fame reinsman
Mike Lachance hit the wire first in 1:57.1 over Broadway
Prince and Your So Vain.
Trained
by Bob Stewart, the son of
Andover Hall-Berry Nice Muscles won for the third time in
six trips behind the gate, lifting his bankroll to $56,400
thanks to the lifetime best score.
Creatine
was the early leader in this mile, hitting the quarter in :30.1,
then yielded to Caveat Emptor who cut middle fractions of :59.1
and 1:28.4. But Creatine found racing room down the middle of
the track and got to the lead late to post the winning score.
"I wanted
to sit close to the front, but not in front," said Lachance. "So
it worked out good that I could get out in the last turn. I had
a lot of luck involved, but we still got it done.
"Right
from the start when I baby raced him at the Meadowlands, I told
Bobby (Stewart) that I liked that colt. He's big, but he's
immature. But he's got the speed and he's got a good head on him.
I really think that next year as a 3-year-old he could mature
into a very nice colt."
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Nigel
Soult photos |
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Punxsutawney (4) took a second-over trip to the winner's
circle in part four |
In the final
division it was Jerry Graham's Punxsutawney ($4.80) who took
advantage of a second over trip on the final turn to reach the
wire first in 1:57.2. Deadliest Catch picked up the place check,
with Crazy About Pat third.
Tim Tetrick was in the bike for trainer John Butenschoen as
the
Glidemaster-Sunseeker Kosmos colt won for the second time in
eight trips behind the gate. He has now earned $138,465.
"John's
trained him all winter," said owner Jerry Graham. "I looked at
him in the sale book and I asked John to go look at him. John
liked him so we bid on him."
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