Hot Shot Blue Chip rebounds at Red Mile

Trainer Jonas Czernyson told harnessracing.com Thursday night, shortly after Hot Shot Blue Chip won a $5,000 late-closing event at The Red Mile, that he plans on keeping the 3-year-old colt trotter in Lexington and not entering any upcoming major stakes.

 

"We need to give him an education. We will be here on Thursdays and try to figure it out,” said Czneryson, shortly after Hot Shot Blue Chip needed just 1:59.2 to get the victory, his second in 10 starts this year.

 

Less than two weeks ago Hot Shot Blue Chip was sent off the third choice in the $1.5 million Hambletonian, but the fast-but-temperamental trotter fared no better than 10th behind the winning Muscle Hill.  Driver Mike Lachance previously noted that although Hot Shot Blue Chip has high speed, he still was learning to race. That showed in his Hambo elim as the son of Revenue stayed on gait and finished second behind Explosive Matter despite drifting wide continuously down the stretch. 

 

On Thursday night, Lachance floated the heavily-favored Hot Shot Blue Chip away off the gate but then sent his charge to the lead as the field entered the backstretch. After an opening quarter of :30.2, Hot Shot Blue Chip reached the half in :59.4 and three-quarters in 1:30.3 before holding off runner-up Blue Boy Yankee and driver Matt Kakaley by 1 ¾ lengths.

 

“We opened him up and had Mike (Lachance) take him off the gate,” said Czneryson. “It would have been nice to go in 1:57, but we only needed 1:59.”