Breeders Crown: Blazin Britches on fire in the 3-Year-Old Filly Pace

Blazin Britches bounced back from a break in the Glen Garnsey at The Red Mile and a poor seventh-place finish in her Breeders Crown elimination last week to win the $500,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace on Friday night at Hoosier Park in 1:52 1/5.

Starting from the pole position in the field of ten, Blazin Britches (Trace Tetrick) got away in third while favored Agent Q (David Miller) went to the top from post five and chopped out the opening quarter in 27 seconds flat. Tetrick moved his charge to the outside past that pole, and Blazin Britches was the new boss well before the 56 second half.

Blazin Britches would go on to hit three-quarters in 1:24 2/5, with Jugette winner Caviart Ally (Andrew McCarthy) moving first-up and getting to within a length of the leader. Those two would go on to decide it, and Blazin Britches held her off all the way to the wire, winning by half a length. Idyllic Beach (Yannick Gingras) was third, Agent Q had to settle for fourth, and Indiana-sired Carols Z Tam (Ricky Macomber) was fifth.

For Tetrick, things worked out like he wanted trip-wise.

"I wanted to sit close, maybe move back to the front, and get a good trip," said Tetrick, who won his second Breeders Crown. "When it played out like it did, I thought (moving to the front) was the right move to make, and it worked out in the end. I was just waiting for the wire. It's a long stretch, and tonight it's a little tiring on the horses, but she's had a lot of experience on this track. She tries hard every week."

Brian Brown trains Blazin Britches, a daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven, for owner/breeder Emerald Highlands Farm. Winless in one rookie try, Blazin Britches sports a record of 11-2-0 from 15 starts this season, and she has put away $540,424 lifetime. She was sent off at 5-1 and paid $12.20 to win.

Brown noted that it was a team effort that got Blazin Britches back on the right foot for the Breeders Crown victory.

"I have to thank my groom, my blacksmith, and my vet and his whole crew," he stated. "This filly didn't race good last week and wasn't sound. My vet found some things, and we had to switch from the flip-flops of last week to just aluminiums today because the track was wet. I think that helped her. I think the flip-flops made her sounder, but I don't think she traveled as good in them.

"She really wasn't good last week - up in the bit, not controllable. It was clear up to yesterday. She relaxed yesterday, jogged like she used to, and paced good jogging. Today real relaxed again - Trace said he drove her with two fingers. Just an incredible turnaround, all those people are responsible for that, and of course the job Trace does."

Brown also explained that Blazin Britches's schedule for the rest of the year is up in the air.

"She could race here next week, but we'll see how things go," he said. "If she doesn't race again this year, I'm okay with that. I think she stamped herself as the best filly in the crop tonight. She's made what? $500,000? She doesn't have to race again this year, but if she's okay, if she comes out of this, we'll race again."