Breeders Crown: Shake It Cerry, Sayitall BB capture 3YO filly finals
Shake It Cerry perhaps took one step closer to a potential Horse of the Year title in capturing the $500,000 Breeders Crown three-year-old filly trot at the Meadowlands on Friday night.
Driven by Ron Pierce, Shake It Cerry took the off-the-pace approach despite being sent off at odds of 1-5. Pierce coolly sat in place as Riveting Rosie and Paul MacDonell shot out to early command in :27 1/5 with Lifetime Pursuit in pursuit for Yannick Gingras.
Lifetime Pursuit moved to the front after the quarter and controlled the pace making it to the half in :55 3/5.
Shake It Cerry began to move at that point and was able to flush out world champion Cee Bee Yes for cover.
[BREEDERS CROWN: Watch the Saturday card from the Meadowlands live on DRF!]
The pace continued to dawdle and Pierce vacated his cover trip for a three-wide excursion on the final turn and once set in motion, Shake It Cerry swiftly circled the field and began to draw clear. The explosion set the daughter of Donato Hanover to her second straight Crown triumph a record-setting 1:52 2/5 clocking.
Cee Bee Yes managed to hold on gamely for the second spot with longshot Struck By Lindy putting in a solid rally for third.
“They were mixing it up pretty good early,” said Pierce of his decision to race Shake It Cerry from off the pace. “I just sat there and she cruised with very little encouragement.”
Shake It Cerry was two and one-quarter lengths in front at the wire, her 15th win in 17 starts, pushing her career bankroll over $2 million for the Solveig’s Racing Partners.
Trainer Jimmy Takter confirmed following the race that Shake It Cerry would return to race as a four-year-old.
Yannick Gingras captured his second Crown of the evening and trainer Ron Burke doubled as well as supplemental entry Sayitall BB overcame post eight early and rolled wire-to-wire to capture the $593,750 Breeders Crown for three-year-old filly pacers decisively.
The first quarter was just :27 2/5 and Sayitall BB got plenty of help in rating the pace as longshot Beach Story aborted an early leave and remained parked in mid-pack stalling any kind of outer flow of cover.
Gingras backed down the half to :55 4/5 and was over to the three-quarters in 1:24 1/5 with literally no challenges to the top.
In the homestretch, only pocket-sitter Major Dancer had a chance to track down the winner but she fell three quarters of a length short. Beach Gal rallied for third with race-favorite Color’s A Virgin finishing fourth having virtually no chance in the race.
Sent off as a 9-1 choice, Sayitall BB returned $21 to win winning in 1:50 4/5, a career best.
“Last week I thought we were sixth,” said trainer Ron Burke, “I was ready to send the apology texts to the owners for supplementing her.”
“She’s been good all along but she was lightly staked and we turned her out to get her ready for the end of the year.”
Sayitall BB’s victory pushed her career earnings over $502k for owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.