Four Starzz Meliss, Darlin's Delight capture Chester splits

April 20, 2009

The 2009 stakes season at Harrah's Chester kicked off Sunday afternoon with a pair of $40,000 eliminations for the Betsy Ross, a premier event for pacing mares with Four Starzz Meliss ($4.60) a confident winner in the first split and Darlin's Delight ($7.20) scoring a minor upset in the second heat.

Reeling off five straight wins this winter against top company at Woodbine, Four Starzz Meliss left in tandem with Mind Boggling (Eric Goodell), driving up the pylons to secure the lead. Mind Boggling subsequently ducked into the pocket, but broke stride past the quarter in :27.3. All alone on the lead, Four Starzz Meliss was able to control the pace, keeping the fractions honest through a half of :55.3 and three-quarters of 1:23.2. Her first significant challenger came at the head of the stretch, when George Brennan angled Arts Diva out of the pocket.

Despite having plenty of pace in the final eighth of a mile, Luc Ouellette was a bit concerned despite his confident handling of Four Starzz Meliss through the stretch. "I was a little worried there--Gelrod always has his horses on their toes, but she was good enough to hold up."

Ouellette hand-drove Four Starzz Meliss to a neck victory over Arts Diva in 1:51.3, while My Little Dragon (Brian Sears) finished third in her seasonal debut. Spring Break (Jeff Fout) is also eligible for next week's $250,000 final, turning in a fourth-place finish.

Ouellette concluded, "She's a classy mare, and she raced well considering everything--not racing for a month, shipping in."

The second elimination saw Martha Maxine (Andy Miller) dispatched as the prohibitive 1-2 favorite, but Darlin's Delight was quick to inherit the lead with her most prominent rival lagging behind the gate and breaking stride before entering the first turn. "It absolutely made a difference, knowing Martha Maxine made a break," said winning driver Yannick Gingras. "I realized Ron (Pierce, on Apache Dame) was moving into the pocket, I looked back, and saw Martha Maxine on a break."

After sprinting clear by four to a :28 opening quarter, Darlin's Delight backed into the field in a :56.4 middle half, repelling a late challenge of Southwind Tempo (Tim Tetrick) to win in 1:51.4. "It made a difference for sure," continued Gingras. "I got to rate some nice fractions, and she sprinted home nicely." Southwind Tempo was second, while Martha Maxine re-rallied to save third. Go On BB (Brian Sears) finished fourth, earning the last spot in the final. (Harrah's Chester)

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