Bluegrass 2CT splits held at Red Mile

Shaq Is Back won the first of five divisions of the $422,000 Bluegrass for 2-year-old colt trotters Thursday afternoon at The Red Mile, scoring in 1:55.3 for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker. The win in the $84,600 split was the fifth in 10 starts this year for the son of Credit Winner.

 

Schnittker found room along the inside in midstretch to take the lead from a tiring Caviar De Vie. As Shaq Is Back took the lead a late-rallying Jetblue Volo and Andy Miller tried to edge past, but the eventual winner stayed game through the wire. Senor Glide finished third for Daniel Dube.

 

A $30,000 yearling purchase owned by the Givemethecredit Stable, Shaq Is Back has earnings just shy of $200,000.

 

The second $83,600 Bluegrass split appeared on paper to be between recent William Wellwood Memorial winner Il Villaggio and Muscle Massive, who upset the Peter Haughton Memorial winner Holiday Road last week in a Simpson Memorial division at The Red Mile. But Muscle Massive took himself out of contention early when he went offstride, so it was a relatively easy time for Il Villaggio to coast to an open-lengths win in 1:56.4 for driver Tim Tetrick.

 

Il Villaggio, named for a restaurant minutes from the Meadowlands, won for the sixth straight time as he defeated runner-up He's Spooky and Mike Lachance, with Keystone Bernard third for Ron Pierce.

 

Owned by Brittany Farms, Blue Chip Bloodstock and Il Villaggio Partners, the winning sn of Yankee Glide increased her earnings to more than $463,000 with the win. He was a $100,000 yearling purchase.

 

The heavily-favored Holiday Road went offstride shortly past the opening quarter in the third split, which was eventually won by second-choice Wishing Stone and driver John Campbell in a career- best 1:55. Rallying down the middle of the stretch, Wishing Stone easily drew clear of runner-up Plan B In HD and Tom Haughton, with Big Stick Lindy and Schnittker third.

 

A son of Conway Hall, Wishing Stone is out of the Valley Victory mare Meadowbranch Magic, making him a full brother to 2008 Hambletonian third-place finisher and Yonkers Trot runner-up Make It Happen, as well as a half brother to other standout performers including Jersey Gal and Man Of Action. A $63,000 yearling purchase by trainer Dewayne Minor, Wishing Stone now has earnings of more than $109,000 for owner Cowboyland Aalborg of Highland Park, Mich. The win was his second in six starts, along with three second-place finishes.

 

As for Holiday Road, who was coming off a sixth-place finish in a Simpson division Sept. 21, co-owner Jerry Silva told harnessracing.com that the trotter will not race anymore this year and be turned out in preparation for a 3-year-old campaign in 2010.

 

Trond Smedshammer said he wanted to know just how good Priority Photo was and the colt rewarded the trainer with a 1:57.4 victory in the fourth $84,600 Bluegrass division. With Smedshammer in the sulky, Priority Photo avoided trouble in the final turn from breaking horses, working his way through an on to the victory over Sailaway Dream and Tim Tetrick, with Chimon third for Marcus Johansson.

 

This was the just the second pari-mutuel start for Priority Photo; his other effort was a second-place finish in a 2-year-old race at the Meadowlands in late August. Smedshammer said afterward he did not enter Priority Photo in any of the late-closers during the Grand Circuit meet in Lexington, preferring to give the son of Classic Photo a chance in open company.

 

Priority Photo is out of the Mchigan Sire Stakes-winning mare She's A Priority, who earned more than $272,000 on the track in the Wolverine State in the early 2000's. She was purchased at Harrisburg as a yearling for $45,000 by Smedshammer's American Viking Racing Stable, Ted Gewertz and Robert Feldman. 

 

The final Simpson division went to Lucky Chucky, who scored his third straight victory, in 1:56.2. Driver John Campbell was able to find room at the top of the stretch after a pocket trip to post the victory over runner-up Winning Fireworks and Pierce, with Flashback and Miller third.

 

A $10,000 yearling purchase, Lucky Chucky was coming off a win in the $450,000 Valley Victory final at Harrah's Chester in early September. Despite being off nearly a month, the son of Windsong's Legacy notched win number six in seven attempts to increase his earnings to more than $372,000 for owners Sylvester, Neal Goldman and Abe Stoltzfus. Sylvester said Lucky Chucky has a possibloe three more starts this year: the International Stallion Stakes next week at The Red Mile and then the Breeders Crown elims and final at Woodbine later this month.