Bulldog Hanover filly upsets in $357,000 Three Diamonds

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Heavy favorites in the Three Diamonds and Governor’s Cup suffered defeats over a “good” track on Saturday night (Nov. 15) at The Meadowlands with one chalk bested by a winless harness racing rival and another by a headstrong pacesetter at double-digit odds.

She’s A Bulldog broke her maiden with a 1:51.1 victory in the $357,000 Grade 1 Three Diamonds, snapping stablemate Loua Dipa’s five-race win streak.

Loua Dipa, the 1-5 favorite, marched forward from post 10 into a mid-pack spot entering the first turn before motoring after stablemate Seaside Shuffle through a :27.2 first quarter. Seaside Shuffle cleared command from pylon-starter Perfect Thought before yielding to Loua Dipa’s brush as driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. finally settled the chalk onto pylons passing three-eighths. She carried the field by the half in :55.4, at which point driver Dexter Dunn pulled She’s A Bulldog out of fifth and charged uncovered for the lead into the far turn.

Dunn rolled She’s A Bulldog menacingly up the rim and loomed to match strides with Loua Dipa past three-quarters in 1:24. She’s A Bulldog then surged to command rounding for home and held her ground for a 1-3/4-length win as Loua Dipa gave futile chase in second. Perfect Thought saved ground for third as did Darlin’s Angel for fourth.

SHE’S A BULLDOG REPLAY

“I was trying to slow her down to be honest,” Dexter Dunn said. “When I moved her at the half she was raring to go. Coming off that last turn, I really had a great hold of her. I had a lap full of horse, but when you’re coming up against champion horses it’s always tough. Obviously Loua Dipa is a fantastic filly, but this filly really turned up tonight.”

The maiden-breaking victory by She’s A Bulldog, in her ninth start, pushed her earnings to $379,326 for owner-breeder Brad Grant. The Bulldog Hanover-Band Stand filly trained by Ron Burke paid $17.80 to win.

Regally bred Gentleman’s Club persisted on the point and outlasted his rivals in a weary stretch sprint to take the $334,000 Grade 1 Governor’s Cup in a 1:50.2 effort.

Driver Andrew McCarthy sent Gentleman’s Club forward and led briefly as Ubrute barreled to the fore out of post 10. Ubrute crossed to the lead nearing a :26.3 first quarter, but McCarthy promptly circled Gentleman’s Club back to the top early in the backstretch. Fragment, the 2-5 favorite, raced third and flushed first up heading into a :54.4 half but stalled when pressing Gentleman’s Club through the far turn.

Fragment folded past three-quarters in 1:22 as Gentleman’s Club straightened and set down for the finish. Ubrute swung out of the pocket to take a late shot while stablemate Melillo zipped through a seam at the pylons with a fierce lunge. Gentleman’s Club withstood the push from his flanks and paced sturdily to the line for a neck win over Melillo while Ubrute settled for third. Talbot Andretti rallied from off the speed for fourth.

GENTLEMAN’S CLUB REPLAY

“I was pretty excited to get back on this horse on a big track – I gave him a rattle there last week and he raced huge, so I was quite confident going into tonight,” Andrew McCarthy said. “I just knew Aaron [Lambert] had this horse ready. He did a fine job getting him to finish the year off like this.”

A colt by Downbytheseaside out of champion mare See You At Peelers, Gentleman’s Club bagged his fifth win from 10 starts and has now amassed $239,756 for owner Tony Licastro. The Aaron Lambert trainee returned $28.60 to win.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results

by Ray Cotolo, for The Meadowlands