Frosh fillies fly in Crown trot elims

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sound Judgement (Muscle Hill) and driver David Miller easily overcame the outside draw and were strongest in the stretch, capturing the first of three $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for juvenile trotting fillies at the Meadowlands on Friday (Oct. 18). The harness racing filly from the Cantab Hall-sired Pin Kronos IT scored for the third time in her career with a 1:54.4 mile.

Miller worked out an ideal trip, cutting the opening quarter in :27.4 before then letting Delaney Hanover and Todd McCarthy pass nearing the half in just :56.4. Though the pace slowed, Miller let Sound Judgement stalk before letting the Jim Oscarsson-trained filly out in mid-stretch to pounce on the pacemaker. With a sub-:28 final quarter, Sound Judgement went by Delaney Hanover by three-quarters of a length and easily held off a strong-closing Miss Belmar in deep stretch.

SOUND JUDGEMENT REPLAY

Bred in Sweden by AM Bloodstock, Sound Judgement is owned by Blomberg Stable Inc., of Delray Beach, Fla. As a 5-1 offering, Sound Judgement returned $12.00 to win.

“She trained good coming into the season, but I had to have her calm down,” said Oscarsson of Sound Judgement’s development. “She’s more relaxed without the shoes.”

Sound Judgement raced at the Red Mile, in Lexington, Ky., without shoes and went without front shoes in her Crown elimination.

The pocket trip again proved to be the way to the final as Lady Landia (Tactical Landing) and trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt worked two-hole magic to perfection and soared past Aperfect Annie in the closing strides of a 1:55.2 mile to capture the second $25,000 elimination.

Svanstedt’s early aggression with Lady Landia not only got him to the front but kept him out of trouble as favorite Deja Blu broke stride early, seriously impacting R Dutchess and driver Jody Jamieson.

Todd McCarthy re-moved with Aperfect Annie following a :27.4 opening quarter and then crawled the middle half, setting up a stretch showdown. Lady Landia was more than up to the challenge with Svanstedt urging her lightly to the wire to win by a neck. Aperfect Annie held for second with Kadena rounding out the finalists from this division.

LADY LANDIA REPLAY

Bred and owned by Svanstedt in partnership with Santandrea Inc. and Jeff Gural’s Little E LLC, the daughter of Tactical Landing from the Chapter Seven-sired Seventimesalady won for the third time in seven career starts and returned $15.80 to win.

“I hope she can get a good post for the final,” said Svanstedt, with the filly guaranteed a draw in the first six positions by rule.

Luna Lovegood proved the fastest — and perhaps the best — of the elimination winners when she captured the third $25,000 elimination for driver Dexter Dunn in a snappy 1:52.2 mile. The filly from the first crop of multiple-Crown champion Gimpanzee is from the Muscle Hill-sired mare Southwind Venus.

Luna Lovegood and Dunn made two moves for control of the race after R Charm and Scott Zeron took early control. Luna Lovegood hit the half in :55.4 and took off on the final turn, opening ground through three-quarters in 1:24.2. Though bearing out some in the stretch, the Marcus Melander-trained filly had plenty in reserve to march home 5-1/4 lengths the best off the strength of a :28 final quarter.

What A Bid Hanover and driver Åke Svanstedt found room to the inside in mid-stretch and rallied for second with Spicy Nice just edging Lasting Dream on the wire for the third and final qualifying spot.

LUNA LOVEGOOD REPLAY

Owned by Holly Lane Stud East Ltd., Luna Lovegood was bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander.

“She’s been doing everything right from the start,” said Marcus Melander following the victory.

A winner in four of her seven starts to date, Luna Lovegood returned $7.40 to win.

The top three finishers from each division join Champagne Problems in the Breeders Crown final.

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

by Jay Bergman, for the Breeders Crown