Dover: Lyons Sentinel looks to make amends in Matron; Shartin to prep next week
Lyons Sentinel came rolling into the Breeders Crown final for 2-year-old filly pacers as the odds-on favorite and raced her heart out in a neck defeat at the hoofs of Reflect With Me. Less than two weeks removed from her first loss in months, Lyons Sentinel is back in the $176,400 Matron at Dover Downs on Thursday.
“She came out very good and we expect her to be everything she is supposed to be,” said trainer Jim King Jr. “We did go up (to the Breeders Crown) expecting to win but we can accept what we got. I still think she is the best 2-year-old filly for the season.”
Lyons Sentinel owns an impressive 12-8-4-0 record and has earned $666,755 in her first year of racing. The Captaintreacherous-sired filly has already taken home the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship and Shes A Great Lady in 2019.
Lyons Sentinel starts from post 1 in the field of seven with regular driver Tim Tetrick in the bike. She’ll meet up with a pair of Breeders Crown starters in Looksgoodinaromper (5th) and Lady Lou (10th, broke). The field also contains a sharp Hen Party, who moves into the Nick Surick barn after losing by just a neck in the Kindergarten final last week at The Meadowlands for trainer Ron Burke. Yannick Gingras will drive Hen Party from post 6.
For Lyons Sentinel, the plan after the Matron calls for a trip to The Meadowlands.
“Hopefully if everything is ok, we’ll go to the Three Diamonds and see where we land,” said King.
The Matron for 2-year-old fillies is the first race on the Dover card and one of four total. Breeders Crown winner Amigo Volo stars in the $181,600 event for rookie colt trotters (race 4) and disqualified Crown winner Papi Rob Hanover goes to the gate in the $186,000 sixth race for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers. A four-horse $147,600 Matron for freshmen trotting fillies goes as a non-wagering race.
While Lyons Sentinel is the young star of the King stable, Shartin is still the queen of the barn. The 6-year-old pacing mare who is vying for Horse of the Year honors finished second in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park on October 26 and will look to take her usual place in the winner’s circle next week.
“We expect to race her at Dover a week from Wednesday (November 13) and then she’ll go to the TVG (Mare Pace at The Meadowlands) assuming she is ok, and I have no reason to believe she isn’t ok,” said King. “When she got sick (in September), her recovery wasn’t as good as I thought it was. I don’t think [her two losses in October] was anything but that. We’ve done the things we need to do to put her back in top form. I’m not absolutely positive we have, but I feel like we have.”
Assuming Shartin makes her way to the TVG Mare Pace final on November 23, she’ll certainly have to face off with her Breeders Crown and Kentucky conqueror Caviart Ally as well as a new shooter in leading 3-year-old pacing filly Warrawee Ubeaut, who is pondering an invitation to face her elders.
King didn’t shy away from the question of facing the red-hot Warrawee Ubeaut, who has won eight straight races. “She’s a very good filly, but how many times have we seen a 3-year-old filly stand up to the old gals?” said King.