Breeders Crown: Shartin repels challengers to win Open Mare Pace

Shartin, aggressively driven by Tim Tetrick, won the $270,000 Breeders Crown Mares Pace final at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday (Oct. 27). The time for the mile was 1:52 over the “sloppy” track.

Supplemented to the race, the New Zealand-bred 5-year-old mare Shartin, flew from the wings of the gate and denied the lead from a quick-leaving Twinkle. Call Me Queen Be took a spot in third on the inside while outside-launching Caviart Ally got the fourth spot.

Shartin cut the first quarter in 26 1/5 as Twinkle drafted behind her. Heading for a 54 3/5 half, Lakeisha Hall made a bid that brought her close to the leader, but she could not get farther from there. Caviart Ally took a shot three-wide, chasing Shartin in a brisk 1:23 three-quarters.

Twinkle was stuffed on the inside and Pure Country began to make an impression, closing as Caviart Ally pushed Shartin to her limit. This was enough to get Shartin over the finish line first in 1:52. Pure Country made it into the show spot behind Caviart Ally. Blue Moon Stride and Twinkle were fourth and fifth.

"She's just tough. She loves to race horses," said Tetrick. "She's quirky, but man, she's got a big motor. Her lungs are pretty special, and I haven't messed her up yet. I knew with the Croghan horses in the 1 and the 3 (Twinkle and Call Me Queen Be), and there's a few talented mares on the outside, I said they've got give my mare some clout there she's been good all year. I told (trainer Jim King Jr.) 'I don't like leaving with her, but I said tonight might be the night'. He said 'do what you've got to do,' and it worked out.

"I felt really confident with her because she really won't go until she sees somebody. The only races she's gotten beat is either when she's made a mistake or she couldn't see them. I knew when nobody was flying by her, I felt pretty confident."

King Jr. trains Shartin N for owners Richard Poillucci and Jo Ann Looney-King. She paid $3.00, $2.20, and $2.10.

"It's all it's cracked up to be, it's good," said King Jr. "It looked like she needed my help, and I was in there giving her all the help I could give her. When they surrounded her on both sides, as long as they didn't come quick, I was confident. She's not going to let them creep by her. She's a fighter.

"I think there's only one thing that stands between her and being Horse of the Year and that's Atlanta. That's the one, I'm afraid. Hambletonian's the answer, I'm afraid. It's not going to hurt my feelings as bad as I would love to have it. I understand that there's only one Hambletonian also."

“I’m pretty happy with that,” said trainer Noel Daley of Caviart Ally’s second-place finish. “From the nine hole, that was a pretty good result. We got a great trip. From the nine hole, I couldn’t ask for a much better trip than that. The other one beat us fair and square. I thought for a minute we were going to get her, but (Shartin N) was good. We’ll see if we can get her in the TVG (in November at The Meadowlands).”

--press release (Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown--