Boulder Creek surpasses $3 mil with win over Lis Mara

July 23, 2007

Boulder Creek, the old warhorse with $3 million in career earnings and Tim Tetrick, the young driver with magic hands combined for a major stakes victory Sunday at Harrah's Chester, winning the inaugural $300,000 Ben Franklin Pace.

Boulder Creek, a 7-year-old gelding, responded to Tetrick's whipping and whooping down the stretch and overtook the 1-2 favorite, Lis Mara, to win the Ben Franklin by a head in a track record of 1:48.3. Lis Mara set the old mark of 1:49 in last week's elimination pace and drew the number one post position for the eight-horse final, earning odds-on support from the wagering public.

"Lis Mara is one of the greatest horses I've ever seen," Tetrick said, "and I was just hoping to stay close until the stretch and make my final move. As it turned out, I got a dream trip and just barely got past him."

Lis Mara was such a strong favorite that Boulder Creek went off at 7-1 odds, unusually high for a Tetrick horse at Harrah's Chester. The 25-year-old reinsman has won 32 races in just eight days here and remains on pace to set an all-time record for harness-racing triumphs in one year. Tetrick's total stands at 674 with more than five months remaining in his pursuit of Walter Case Jr.'s record of 1,077.

Sunday's first prize of $150,000 pushed Boulder Creek's career earnings to $3,046,887 and marked his 35th victory, most of them against the top free-for-all pacers in North America. He even won a mile-and-three-eighths race last month at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario, also edging Lis Mara in that one.

Driver Brian Sears didn't rush Lis Mara away from the one post, allowing speed pacers Gold Dust Beach, Artistic Fella and Spirit of a Shark to battle for the early lead.

"I was glad to see that," Tetrick said. "Brian didn't want a long fight against that speed pack, so he settled into fifth spot. I stayed right behind him."

When Sears took off toward the leaders down the backstretch, Tetrick alertly brought Boulder Creek right behind him, drafting around the final turn like a veteran NASCAR driver. Lis Mara worked hard to wear down Gold Dust Beach, who benefited from the number two post, and Artistic Fella, last year's 3-year-old pacing champion. Boulder Creek used the second-over trip to move into striking position with 100 yards to go, then pulled out with an experienced move and rushed to barely reach the finish line first.

"Sometimes it takes a dream trip to beat a champion like that," Tetrick said.

Boulder Creek is owned by Clifford Siegel, Lee Wasserman and John Fodera of New York City and trained by Mark Silva. He paid $17.60 to win. Took Hanover rallied from seventh place with John Campbell to finish third at 7-1 odds. As a group, the eight Ben Franklin Pace starters have won 30 races valued at $100,000 or more. (Harrah's Chester)

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