Breeders Crown: I Luv The Nitelife blows away her peers in Crown final
I Luv The Nitelife loves Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and loves winning. The daughter of Rocknroll Hanover scored a decisive victory in the $500,000 Breeders Crown for three-year-old filly pacers on Saturday night and put her name in the hunt for Horse of the Year.
With Tim Tetrick in the bike I Luv The Nitelife had to work very hard to clear 91-1 shot Aunt Caroline in a wicked :25 4/5 opening quarter.
As difficult as I Luv The Nitelife had it in the early stages, the surprising 4-5 favorite Shebestingin somehow managed to be parked three wide behind the leaders and then was under encouragement by driver Dave Miller to clear the eventual race winner.
Shebestingin marched to the half in :54 3/5 with defending champion Somwherovrarainbow on the attack for driver Montrell Teague. Shebestingin and Miller kept their advantage through a blistering three quarters of 1:21 4/5 as the world champion emerged with the lead entering the stretch.
Tetrick wasted no time coming off the rail on the final turn to take a shot at the weakening leader and within a few strides the Chris Ryder-trained filly blew past and opened up her margin. I Luv The Nitelife cruised to her 13th victory in 14 starts this year scoring in 1:50 flat to win by three and three-quarter lengths.
Authorize, sent off at 18-1, flashed solid late speed circling the field from last to finish second ahead of early leader Aunt Caroline. Shebestingin took the brunt of a contested pace and salvaged fourth with Parlee Beach earning the final check.
I Luv The Nitelife, a $60,000 yearling purchase of Richard and Joanne Young, increased her career earnings to $1,907,867 with the lion’s share of the purse.
“She’s a great horse and great horses do great things,” said I Luv The Nitelife’s trainer Chris Ryder following the race.
I Luv The Nitelife paid $4 as the second-betting choice in the field.
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