Ellen Harvey wins at The Meadows

July 22, 2008

Ellen Harvey, the equine namesake for the executive director of Harness Racing Communications, broke her maiden with a 2:01.2 score in a division of the $231,626 Pennsylvania Sire Stake for 2-year-old filly trotters Monday afternoon at The Meadows.

The stake, known as the Meadow Gladys, was contested over six divisions. Ellen Harvey�s win for Mike Wilder was the slowest split of the stake, but she showed heart in thwarting the extended uncovered bid of a game Rompaway Bridget, who fell a nose short. Rusty�s Centerfold was a close-up third.

�That horse came at her hard, and she just turned away all challengers,� Wilder said. �She doesn�t show being on the front end before, and she may have been a little green. Off a helmet, she might be even better.�

Jimmy Takter trains Ellen Harvey, a daughter of Andover Hall-Shes The Limit, for Christina Takter, John Fielding and Louie Camara.

The two Ellen Harveys, by the way, are acquainted. In her office, the human Ellen Harvey sports a shoe given her by the equine Ellen Harvey. She says she intends to reciprocate and present the filly with a high-heeled shoe from her extensive collection.

�It will be lavender because I�m past my pastel stage,� she said. �And it will be a right shoe because I want her to get off on the right foot.�

Dick Stillings drove Lost Photo and Broadway Paige to 1:59 miles in their PASS divisions; those fillies now share the stake record.

Broadway Paige has been in the money in all six career starts with three wins, including a division of the Reynolds. In the Meadow Gladys, she had so much trot that Stillings pulled the pocket with her before the three-quarter pole. The daughter of Broadway Hall-Financial Paige drew off to triumph by 7 1/4 lengths over Leader Of The Bax, with SJ�s Minolta a distant third.

�She�s done everything right so far. She�s still developing her speed,� said Brian Roland, who trains Broadway Paige for Anthony and Carol Risi and Bernard O�Brien. �We bought her at Harrisburg for $12,000. That looks pretty cheap so far. She toed in pretty good, but a lot of it was the shoeing. When we trimmed her feet and started jogging her, she broke straight over. She doesn�t hit.�

Lost Photo, who entered the Meadow Gladys off a victory in an early closing series, lowered her mark by five seconds by brushing past the leaders in the stretch. Stay With Us was 1 1/2 lengths back in second while Some Like It Lindy was third.

�She�s trained decently, and I knew she had more than she showed in that first win,� said trainer Rich Gillock. �She�s such a little thing, but she has a lot of heart. She comes from a good mother. That means a lot, too.�

Andray Farm and Lindwood Farm own the homebred daughter of S J�s Photo-Lost Lady One.

The record set by Lost Photo and Broadway Paige erased the old mark of 1:59.2 established by Blossom Seelster in 2003.

Also capturing splits were Cherries Hanover (Cantab Hall-Caitrin), Caviar Forthe Lady (SJ's Caviar-Croupier Lady) and All Star Hanover (Cantab Hall-Astraea Hanover).

War Boots marched to his seventh victory of the year the hard way, coming first-up to capture the $23,000 Preferred Handicap Pace in 1:51.1 for trainer/driver Ray Paver and owner Shirley Mitchell.

Also featured on the card was the third leg of the Donna Dunn series for freshman pacing fillies. Taking $8,000 divisions were TSM Opal Star T (Jate Lobell-TSM Black Pearls), Wildflower Hanover (Western Ideal-Witchn Flight) and Singnoevil Hanover (The Panderosa-Sing Flying Monkey). (The Meadows)

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