Breeders Crown: Fields set for 2-year-old filly events following four eliminations

A track record 1:53 3/5 performance by Phaetosive in the first of two $20,000 trot eliminations highlighted Breeders Crown elimination action for 2-year-old fillies on Friday night at Hoosier Park. Manchego improved to 11-for-11 on the season in the other trot elimination, while public choices Rainbow Room and Youaremycandygirl took the pacing dashes.

Basquiat (Yannick Gingras), who had set the previous track record of 1:53 4/5 in winning the Kentuckiana Stallion Management last month, was the leader at the 27 4/5 opening quarter, the 57 1/5 half, and the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters, but Phaetosive (Trond Smedshammer) took over from first-up in the lane and thundered away to win by three lengths over Seviyorum (Andy Miller). Jordan Blue Chip (Scott Zeron) came in third, and she would be followed by Atlanta (Rick Zeron) and Hey Blondie (Andrew McCarthy).

"I just wanted to get away in striking position, and I knew Yannick was going to leave," said Smedshammer. "It worked out kind of good because I was able to sit until after the half, and I made my move."

Phaetosive is an Explosive Matter filly owned by Purple Haze Stables LLC. She has won four of her six starts, with second-place finishes to Manchego in the races she didn't win, and she has now earned $195,053. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc., Phaetosive, a $65,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase, is the fifth foal out of the Angus Hall mare Phaeton, a half-sister to Neal (Credit Winner, $289,737). She was the 6-5 second choice and paid $4.60 to win.

In the other trot elimination Manchego (Gingras) worked up on the outside to take command from Looking For Zelda (Tony Hall) beyond the 27 3/5 opening quarter. Manchego would trot through a 57 1/5 half and a 1:26 1/5 three-quarters, got away from the field in the upper stretch, and reported home with a 2 1/2 length victory in 1:54 1/5. Lily Stride (Tim Tetrick) turned in a solid effort from first-over to collect second, with Top Expectations (Marcus Miller) third. S M S Princess (Ake Svanstedt) and Looking For Zelda rounded out the finalists.

"She was a little anxious," noted winning trainer Jimmy Takter. "I saw in the last turn Yannick had a little bit too much hold of her. She did that a little bit in the elimination up in Canada, but it's a fresh evening, a little cold, and she's been in detention barn for 24 hours. We've got to work on that for the final.

"It will take a heck of a horse to go by this filly. She's extremely brave, and so far we haven't seen a horse pass her."

Manchego, a daughter of Muscle Hill, is owned by Black Horse Racing, John Fielding, and Herb Liverman, and she now has a bankroll of $573,948 to go with her unblemished record. Purchased for $120,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Manchego was bred by Brittany Farms and is the third foal out of the Cantab Hall mare Secret Magic ($198,260). This makes Manchego a half-sister to $300,000+ earner In Secret (Deweycheatumnhowe), and the dam Secret Magic is a half-sister to the likes of millionaire Possess The Magic (Self Possessed). Manchego was the 1-9 favorite and returned $2.10 to win.

Heavy favorites Rainbow Room and Youaremycandygirl did not disappoint their backers in the two $20,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Pace eliminations, delivering the goods at 6-5 and 1-9, respectively.Dean GilletteRainbow Room will look to join her full sister Somwherovrarainbow as a Breeders Crown champion

Coming off a couple of tough defeats in Lexington, David Miller put Rainbow Room on the point from post five, and after leading the way through stations of 26 3/5, 56, and 1:24 1/5, she kicked out a 28 2/5 final quarter to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Firestorm (Jody Jamieson). Come See The Show (Tetrick) rallied up the cones for third, followed by Majorsspeciallady (Gingras) and Rock On Ladys (John De Long).

"She did get beat, and that upset me, but she went good miles," said winning trainer Holloway about Rainbow Room's two second-place finishes during the Grand Circuit Meet at The Red Mile. "She had the next-best horse sitting on her back, and they caught her. We were the fastest mile of each division, but that's all excuses. I found something today on her a little bit, and I think that helped.

"I was worried about having to the cut the whole mile because it is such a long stretch, but you do want to win, and he said she still had pace."

The victorious filly by Somebeachsomewhere is trained by Holloway for owners Crawford Farms LLC., Val D'Or Farms, and Ted Gewertz. Rainbow Room, a $100,000 buy from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has seven victories and three second-place finish in ten trips behind the gate, and she has put away $359,624. Bred by Vieux Carre Farms and Steve Jones, Rainbow Room is out of the great Rainbow Blue (Artiscape, $1,428,934), making Rainbow Room a full sister to Somwherovrarainbow ($1,342,848). Rainbow Room returned $4.60 to win.

Youaremycandygirl (Gingras), coming off a world record victory over Rainbow Room at The Red Mile, was away fourth at the 26 2/5 first quarter in the other elimination, but was up to get the front on the way to the 55 2/5 half. Youaremycandygirl clicked off three-quarters in 1:23 3/5, and a 27 2/5 final panel got her home a length to the good over a passing lane-rallying Reign On Me (D. Miller) in a 1:51 mile. Strong Opinion (Matt Kakaley) was third, Pueblo Blue Chip (Jamieson) came in fourth, and Im With Her (Paul MacDonell) secured the last spot in the final.

"She was a little excited tonight, but she can race out a hole for sure," offered Gingras. "She raced in the two-hole last week in Lexington, and she came on real hard in the stretch. I heard the other filly coming, she's a nice filly too, and I just called on mine. She had some left, but she gave me what she's got. She's a very honest filly, and she's a sweetheart."

Youaremycandygirl, trained by Ron Burke and owned by W.J. Donovan, is a daughter of American Ideal who has now won six times from eight lifetime attempts, and she has earned $327,195. Bred by Birnam Wood Farms, Youaremycandygirl was purchased for $150,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is the second foal out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Sweet Lady Jane ($119,789). Sweet Lady Jane is a half-sister to Sweet Lou (Yankee Cruiser, $3,478,894) and Bettor Sweet (Bettor's Delight, $2,782,353). Youaremycandygirl paid $2.20 to win.

Here is how the fields will line up for their $600,000 finals next Friday night

Filly Pace

1-Reign On Me
2-Come See The Show
3-Rainbow Room
4-Youaremycandygirl
5-Majorsspeciallady
6-Im With Her
7-Strong Opinion
8-Firestorm
9-Pueblo Blue Chip
10-Rock On Ladys
AE1-Kissin In The Sand
AE2-Aims Whisper

Filly Trot

1-Atlanta
2-S M S Princess
3-Hey Blondie
4-Manchego
5-Phaetosive
6-Top Expectations
7-Jordan Blue Chip
8-Lily Stride
9-Seviyorum
10-Looking For Zelda
AE1-Basquiat
AE2-Impinktoo