$134,900 Dexter Cup belongs to Sir Pinocchio

Freehold, NJ — Sir Pinocchio (Met’s Hall) took the lead from a group of breaking horses on the first turn and held off favorite Blackhawk Zette in the stretch to win Saturday’s $134,900 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old male harness racing trotters by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56.2 at Freehold Raceway. Stockholm Hanover finished third.

Sir Pinocchio, the 2-1 second choice with Jason Bartlett driving, set fractions of :30.1, :59.3, and 1:28.1 on his way to the victory, his second in two starts this season.

“He raced super,” trainer Ed Hart said about Sir Pinocchio. “There was a lot of mix up in the first turn, and I held my breath there for a minute. They came pretty good the last quarter (:28.1). He’s all right. He’s the real deal.”

Six horses went off stride in the Dexter Cup, with Sir Pinocchio and Blackhawk Zette, who won the Bobby Weiss Series final this past Monday, the only two to remain trotting for the entire mile. Sir Pinocchio and Blackhawk Zette started from posts six and seven, respectively.

SIR PINOCCHIO REPLAY

“It was kind of a mess in the first turn; I didn’t know what was going on, everybody was blowing up,” winning driver Jason Bartlett said. “We got through the mess and once I got around the first turn, I was pretty happy to be in the spot where I was. I didn’t realize that (Blackhawk Zette) got on my back until going down the backside, so I knew I had a good horse on my back, but (Sir Pinocchio) trotted home well.

“It was a good effort, a good race. Hopefully, he keeps improving like he is. He’s going to be a good horse.”

The triumph continued a run of stakes success for Sir Pinocchio’s family at Freehold. His dam, Lady Cromwell, is a full sister to Lord Cromwell, who won the 2017 Dexter Cup in a still standing stakes-record 1:55. His second dam, Oh Oh Its Magic, won a division of the Lady Suffolk Stakes in 2007.

Those two stakes-winners, who combined to earn more than $932,000 in their careers, were bred and owned by Carolyn Atherton and her husband, Irv, as is Sir Pinocchio.

Sir Pinocchio was a New York Sire Stakes Excelsior Series champion last year. He has hit the board in seven of nine lifetime starts, winning four and earning $123,877.

The gelding is not eligible to August’s Hambletonian but is staked to several other major Grand Circuit races for 3-year-old male trotters, including the Yonkers Trot, Canadian Trotting Classic, and Matron.

“We have high hopes for the young man,” Irv Atherton said earlier in the week. “We can only keep our fingers crossed that he stays healthy. We’ve got the right trainer and the right driver, so everything is good.”

Sir Pinocchio paid $6.20 to win.

Earlier in the day, driver/trainer Todd Schadel won both divisions of the Lady Suffolk Stakes for 3-year-old female trotters, capturing the first with Loveyoubunches (Fordham Road-Lovebeinglucky) and the second with Jakarta Hanover (International Moni-Janderson).

In the first division, which went for a purse of $31,788, Loveyoubunches went to the front at the start and held off late charges from Meetmeatthebar by a head and Southwind Banshee by a neck as she won in 1:57.2.

Loveyoubunches is owned by Todd and Christina Schadel and breeders Richard and Regina Beinhauer. It was her first win of the year and the seventh of her career in 11 starts. She has earned $154,465.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Loveyoubunches paid $13.40 to win.

LOVEYOUBUNCHES REPLAY

In the second division, which went for a purse of $32,788, Jakarta Hanover launched a first-over move on the backstretch, overtook co-favorite Eloise coming off the final turn, then fended off co-favorite Blazing Deo by a neck to win in 1:58.1. Lollapalooza K was third.

Jakarta Hanover is owned by Schadel and Jim Simpson. The Hambletonian Oaks-eligible filly was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. It was her first win of the season and fourth in 13 career races. She has earned $86,664.

JAKARTA HANOVER REPLAY

Also sent off at 5-1, Jakarta Hanover paid $12.60 to win.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA