Delaware County Fair: Supplemental entrant Soft Shot shines in Jugette

The connections of Soft Shot were rewarded handsomely after paying the $15,000 supplement fee to put her in the Jugette for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday afternoon at the Delaware (Ohio) County Fair as she won both her $25,000 elimination and the $260,000 final.

A pair of eliminations were held, with the first one going to Soft Shot (David Miller) in 1:49 3/5 to tie the world record for a sophomore pacing filly on a half-mile track. My Girl EJ (Dexter Dunn) would then take the other trial in 1:49 1/5 to lower the world record. The remainder of the finalists were A Few Choice Words (Jim Marohn Jr.), Dandy's Mercy (Scott Zeron), Donegal Spirit (Todd McCarthy), Odds On Platinum (Todd McCarthy), Lou Lou (Yannick Gingras) and Hunting Hula (Andy McCarthy). Soft Shot had the pole for the final, with My Girl EJ, A Few Choice Words, Odds On Platinum, Lou Lou, Dandy's Mercy and Hunting Hula lined up to her outside. Todd McCarthy stuck with Odds On Platinum, giving the drive on Donegal Spirit to Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the final.

In the final they lined up quickly in post position order, and Soft Shot cut the quarter in just 27 3/5. Coming to the half, McCarthy had Odds On Platinum off the rail and moving from fourth, but My Girl EJ, who was in the pocket, wound up with a broken hobble and made a break. That scattered the entire field, including Odds On Platinum, who was forced wide to get around her. That left Soft Shot with a loose lead in an opening half of just 56 1/5.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Soft Shot continued on a clear lead to three-quarters in 1:23 4/5 as Odds On Platinum stalled first-up and A Few Choice Words was gapped in the pocket, and a 27 1/5 final kicker propelled Soft Shot to the 2 1/2 length victory in 1:51 flat. A Few Choice Words held off a game Odds On Platinum for second, Dandy's Mercy was fourth from second-over and Donegal Spirit checked in fifth.

"I was getting pretty easy fractions anyways. Dexter, I don't know if he started to move or what exactly happened, but I looked back and saw she made a break. Whatever horse was out there already, it took them right out, too," Miller recalled about the incident going to the half. "When the half flashed up in 56, I let her pace a little bit up the backstretch. I heard a horse coming to her. I called on her at the head of the lane, and she had horse left."

A daughter of Heston Blue Chip, Soft Shot is trained by Jessica Roegner for owner Paul O'Neil. Bred by Shanamphilankilou Inc., Soft Shot has 13 wins from 20 outings, has banked $245,078 and paid $5.80 to win in the final as the 9-5 second choice. This was only Soft Shot's second career stakes start. She was third in the Courageous Lady at MGM Northfield Park back on August 10 but was coming into the Jugette off a victory over older foes in the F&M Open Handicap at The Meadows on September 4.

"She's amazing. We were here for the fun," Roegner said about her expectations after paying the supplement fee. "That was unexpected, but you can't win it unless you're in it."