Sears drives all three Oaks elim winners

Brian Sears seemed to have traded his whip for a broom as he swept all three Hambletonian Oaks eliminations Saturday night at the Meadowlands, winning with Lantern Kronos (1:54.2), Stage Show (1:54.3) and Creamy Mimi (1:55.1). The world champion Snow White will be back at the barn after breaking stride in her elim and failing to advance.

Lantern Kronos, now a winner of eight of nine starts this year, will be the favorite to win the Hambletonian Oaks after winning her Oaks elim effortlessly. Lantern Kronos, a full sister to the top European trotter Going Kronos, won her Oaks elim effortlessly. Trained by Jimmy Takter, the filly has now won eight of nine starts this year. Her only defeat this year was in an elim for the Delvin Miller Memorial, when she broke stride and finished up the track.

With a big 1:54.4 win at Pocono in a Reynolds split on July 11, Lantern Kronos was the 1-9 betting favorite in her Oaks elim, the first race on the Big M card.

Driver Brian Sears left the gate strongly with Lantern Kronos but then engaged in the Big M “give and go” by turning over the point position to Fancy Vacation before retaking. The quarter was passed in :27.3 and by the :56 half, Lantern Kronos was back in charge.

Saorse, trained and owned by famed French horseman Jean Pierre Dubois, made a strong bid for driver Louis Baudron, but couldn’t threaten Lantern Kronos and settled for second. Two NTS With Her finished third for trainer Torger Hagmann, while Celebrity Tribute finished fourth.

Stage Show, a 3-year-old filly by Broadway Hall who was unraced as a 2 year old, has stepped up each and every race and was poised to do so again when 1-5 favorite Snow White broke stride.

One Tough Lass, with Tim Tetrick driving for Ross Croghan, took control of the race quickly after starting from post three. Meanwhile, John Campbell floated along with Snow White and settled in fourth at the pylons as the field moved through the first turn.

No one moved off the pylons down the backstretch until just before the half, when Campbell finally edged to the outside with Snow White. The halfway time flashed at :57.4, and Snow White continued to steadily move up. But when Snow White reached the turn she quickly appeared vulnerable, dropping back, then becoming rough gaited, finally breaking stride.

With Campbell forced to take Snow White to the outside and regroup, One Tough Lass appeared an easy winner. But Sears kept the green Stage Show game and she put her nose on the wire first to earn the 1:54.3 win. Diana Hall recovered from an early break and finished third.

Jim Campbell trains Stage Show for owners Arlene and Jules Siegel. The filly has now won four of five starts, but the Oaks elim was her very first stakes score.

“For a limited amount of starts, she definitely has shown a lot of class,” said Sears of Stage Show.

Sears controlled the third Oaks elim, starting from post one with Creamy Mimi and never giving up the lead. Creamy Mimi trotted quickly over to the first quarter to maintain control, hitting that mark in :27.4. She reached the halfway point in :56.2 and then enjoyed a :29.3 third panel before feeling pressure from No Pain No Gain, a winner of two of five starts going into the Oaks.

“It looked like maybe he (driver David Miller and No Pain No Gain) was going to collar me, but my filly dug in,” said Sears of Creamy Mimi.

Creamy Mimi earned her fourth win of the season in eight starts for owners Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. Trond Smedshammer trains the filly by Conway Hall, who last year won three of only four freshman starts.

The field for the Hambletonian Oaks is listed below. Post positions will be drawn Tuesday.

Lantern Kronos

Saorse

Two NTS With Her

Stage Show

One Tough Lass

Diana Hall

Creamy Mimi

No Pain No Gain

Prada Hall

Celebrity Tribute

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