Dover: Shartin victorious with last-to-first effort in 2020 debut

Horse of the year Shartin N got back to business on Wednesday night (3/4) at Dover Downs and proved without a doubt that she hasn’t lost a step during her winter hiatus. Despite sitting last in the field of six at the head of the stretch and certainly giving her backers at 1-5 some anxiety, she charged home to blow by the field for a neck-long victory in 1:50.

Longshot Write Me A Song was allowed to coast along on an uncontested lead through fractions of 27 1/5 and 55 1/5 before Bettor Joy N pulled from third at the five-eighths pole and began to inch forward while towing Major Occasion A and Shartin N into the race.

Heading past the three-quarter call in 1:22 1/5, pocket-sitter Apple Bottom Jeans was given the green light from driver Corey Callahan and pounced on the leader with Shartin N seemingly in no-man’s land without a chance of victory. Shartin N followed Major Occasion A wide on the final turn, was tapped with the whip by driver Tim tetrick a few times and uncorked a powerful turn of speed to blow by the field with ease.

Major Occasion A closed just slightly worse to finish second while Apple Bottom Jeans was third.

“I don’t know how it could get any better than this, especially with this mare coming back so good,” said trainer Jim King Jr. in the post-race interview.

“I said to Jimmy before the race that I’m going to take her to the back and he said it was fine as long as I made sure I won,” said Tetrick. “She showed how good she is and paced by them late.”

Shartin N paid $2.60 to win and took home the $25,000 first-place check in the special Invitational event for owners Richard Poillucci, JoAnn Looney-King and Tetrick. She will head to the Blue Chip Matchmaker series at Yonkers Raceway on March 13 for her next start.