The Meadows: True Blue Lindy shows speed, heart in PaSS debut

True Blue Lindy, making his debut for trainer Jeff Cullipher after winning the Dream Maker Series final at Woodbine Mohawk Park, was a determined 1:51 3/5 winner of Friday afternoon's lone $159,745 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers at The Meadows.

Driven by Tim Tetrick and starting from the pole position, True Blue Lindy blasted out and quickly established command in a 27 1/5 opening quarter. Facing no outside pressure in the second quarter, Tetrick was able to rate True Blue Lindy to the half in 56 1/5, then picked up tempo again to 1:23 4/5 at three-quarters, blunting a first-over try from 4-5 favorite Market Based (Dexter Dunn).

Coming off the far turn JM's Finaltreasure (Yannick Gingras) vacated the pocket to try and chase down True Blue Lindy, and that gave Birthday (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) the passing lane option from the three-hole. Fourever Boy (Mike Wilder) also angled out wide after sitting on the cones in sixth, but none of them were able to get by True Blue Lindy, who dug in gamely to keep a head in front at the wire. Birthday was the runner-up, and JM's Finaltreasure wound up third.

"We got our picture taken," Cullipher said. "Timmy said as soon as the horse got where he could see the closers, he took back off again. He'll probably be better off a helmet."

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A gelded son of Always B Miki, True Blue Lindy is co-owned by Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC. True Blue Lindy, who was campaigned by Carl Jamieson north of the border before a private purchase, has four wins and two seconds from six starts, this victory pushed his earnings to $135,510, and he paid $6.80 to win as the 2-1 second choice. Bred by Lindy Farms, True Blue Lindy is the fourth foal out of Think Pink, a Yankee Cruiser half-sister to Big Jim (1:49 1/5, $1,541,924).

"His fractions were good, but he's a big horse and not a sprinter," Pollack said. "It was great to see him show heart late."

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association--