Santanna Blue Chip noses out Sand Shooter in 1:51.3

Santanna Blue Chip got up in the final stride and nosed out Sand Shooter in a photo finish to the $650,000 Breeders Crown 2-year-old colt pace in 1:51.3. Robert’s Rage finished third.

From post eight Jody Jamieson and Santanna Blue Chip followed stablemate Robert’s Rage and Mark MacDonald at the start as Robert’s Rage went for the lead in the first turn. But Santanna Blue Chip gained the lead at the :27.4 quarter.

That lead lasted only a few strides as race favorite Sand Shooter and David Miller took over the lead and went past the half in :55.3. The first-over challenge came from Dontloseyourdayjob and George Brennan, whose position had Santan Blue Chip locked in past the 1:24.1 three quarters and into the lane. But when Dontloseyourdayjob flattened out at the head of the stretch it allowed Santana Blue Chip to pull out and take aim at the leader. But it wasn’t until the final stride that Santanna Blue Chip put his nose in front.

Santanna Blue Chip, who earned a bye into the race and did not have to race in last week’s elimination won by Sand Shooter in 1:51.2, scored his fifth win of the year in 11 starts after a four-week layoff from his last race, the Governor’s Cup at Woodbine, which he won.

A son of Art major, from the matt’s Scooter mare Mmissus Hanover, Santanna Blue Chip increased his earnings to $427,906 for owners Jerry Gillis, the George Arthur Stable, 1140545 Ontario Ltd. (Jody Jamieson) and trainer Carl Jamieson. The latter also trains Santanna Blue Chip as well as robert’s Race and the fourth-place finisher, Legacy N Diamonds.