Delaware County Fair: Warrawee Ubeaut matches world record in Jugette blowout

Warrawee Ubeaut dominated in her elimination and then the final, putting forth a tour de force performance in Wednesday afternoon's Jugette for 3-year-old filly pacers at the Delaware County Fair. Her clocking in the final of 1:50 1/5 equaled Call Me Queen Be's world record for a sophomore pacing filly on a half-mile track.

Treacherous Reign (Dexter Dunn) and Warrawee Ubeaut (Yannick Gingras) captured their eliminations as the heavy favorites in 1:52 flat and 1:51 1/5, respectively, then drew posts one and two for the $155,760 final. Treacherous Reign left hard from the rail and made front, but Gingras tried to pop the pocket and move to the lead going to the 26 2/5 opening quarter. Dunn drove on and stuffed Warrawee Ubeaut back into the pocket, though, then put on the brakes in the second quarter, clicking off the half in just 55 2/5.

Coming off the third turn Gingras tried the same outside move he had attempted before with Warrawee Ubeaut, and this time there was no resisting her, as she sprinted around Treacherous Reign and cleared passing the 1:23 3/5 three-quarters. It was all over from there as she ran up the score to win by open lengths over Ideation Hanover (James MacDonald), who sat third and out-kicked Treacherous Reign. Bestseller Hanover (Jason Bartlett) was fourth and Stonebridge Soul (Tim Tetrick) came in fifth.

"Not at all, I wouldn't have let him go if it was the other way around," Gingras said about the early hardball. "By making him go a little bit, I figured I'd get to sit a little bit longer. I talked a little crap after the elimination, but I'm so confident in this filly right now; I didn't see any scenario where she'd lose unless I messed up."

Ron Burke trains the millionaire daughter of Sweet Lou for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Phil Collura, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. She now has 16 career wins, and she paid $2.60 to win in the final as the 1-5 favorite.

"She goes to Lexington, then the Breeders Crown and a couple more after that. She's probably the fastest mare we've had," remarked Burke. "She's obviously a very high-speed horse. Moving forward I think she's going to be a great horse. That, she couldn't have done before.

"This is the reason we do this, is to have horses like this. I grew up with horses. I didn't love them when I started. I was afraid of them, so for me to be able to train a horse like this who is a hard-to-handle horse, it's especially satisfying. We knew it wasn't going to last, just rocking her down the road like maybe did a little too much at two. We had to re-program her, and Yannick did a good job. I don't think she has a bottom. She went 48 last year, and it was wrapped-up. This is a super-fast horse. It's in her family. With her now being able to be rated and taught to race correctly, anything's possible."

Burke acknowledged that serious consideration was given to entering the Little Brown Jug with Warrawee Ubeaut, but concern over drawing an outside post against the boys led them to racing in the Jugette instead.

"After that, it makes it a little tougher. She was pretty good," said co-owner Mark Weaver about the decision to not enter the Little Brown Jug. "Yannick and Ronnie were both so confident; I'd never seen them like that."