Champlain 2FTs at Mohawk

Pampered Princess kept her flawless record intact with a 2 ¾-length victory in the third division of the Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old filly trotters at Mohawk on Monday. Jimmy Takter drove and trained the Andover Hall filly to her fourth career win in 1:56.4 for Bob Anderson and David Anderson. Constance Hall out-nodded Armbro Equinox for second.

Pampered Princess sat the perfect pocket trip over the first three-eighths of a mile before seizing lead at the half-mile marker (1:00). Takter kept the New Jersey-bred busy and she set sail for home, increasing her advantage through the stretch en route to victory.

“She’s a really, really special filly,” Takter said. “I wanted to be careful with her tonight from post one. I just wanted to get away clean. It is cold tonight and after the slow half, the mile ended up being a big one.”

Classical Mary was far back early and far back late, but managed to trot her best in deep stretch to take the second division of the Champlain Stakes for Chris Christoforou.

The well-traveled daughter of Muscles Yankee, who heading into the Champlain had made her last five starts at five different tracks, put it all together after a modest fourth in her Mohawk debut last week.

"I was confident she could rebound,” Christoforou said. “I had no traffic trouble with her. She was very comfortable in winning. I hope she's here for quite a while, I like her. She's a real nice filly."

Classical Mary was trained to the 1 ¼-length victory in 1:58.1 by Richard Gillock for Steve Stewart and Andrew and Linda Fabian.

She was fifth through early splits of :28.4 and :59.2, but with an eighth of a mile to travel and still fifth, she began to roll, trotting strongly to the wire for her third career tally.

Trevor Ritchie guided Jayportcashforlife to an 11-1 upset in 2:00 in the first of three divisions of the Champlain. The brown Dream Vacation filly was trained to the head victory over Flight Surgeon by Brent Belore for Thomas Porchak..

Jayportcashforlife stalked pacesetter Celebrity Lady for much of the Champlain trip through splits of :29.3 and 1:00.4, but was able to edge past her rival in deep stretch and hold off late closers Flight Surgeon and Likely Volo, who was third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

“She was good and strong all the way tonight,” Ritchie said. “She finished up with all kinds of trot to the wire. I think last week’s trip (sixth, beaten 9 3/4 lengths in the Robert Stewart) ‘bravened’ her up. (The Champlain) trip combined with what happened last week really helped her in here.”

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