The first encounter between Miki And Minnie and Chantilly proved to be the thriller we had hoped for. The 2024 Canadian Horse of the Year Chantilly's first meeting with any horse on a track outside of Ontario proved that the daughter of Big Jim can travel and can go around a smaller oval. Driver James MacDonald had an ace up his sleeve, and that was the brilliant quick foot his filly had at the outset. That Miki And Minnie's trainer Chris Ryder had been aware of that fact hours earlier was a cautionary tale for the $250,000 Lynch at Pocono on Saturday. "Chantilly can leave very quick, and I hope we can stay with her," Ryder said a few hours before the battle. When the Lynch began Chantilly exploded and was instantly in front despite starting from post six. That Dexter Dunn was able to work past one horse to his inside with Miki And Minnie and secure the pocket was good fortune. Still, there was plenty of uncertainty how the race would play out, with the two top fillies in racing one-two and MacDonald having the advantage of controlling the pace to his liking. For a moment when Dexter Dunn pulled Miki And Minnie on the final turn and then ducked back in behind Chantilly, it appeared that perhaps the leader was going to pull away in the stretch. Whether Miki And Minnie needed to compose herself with cover on the turn or not, the move was enough to catapult the daughter of Always B Miki in the homestretch where her determination got the better of Chantilly, with the runner-up giving all indication that little separates the two talent-wise. However, we may have to wait a while before the two fillies are on the same track for the same race again. Ryder's 2024 Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh is taking a brief vacation from the races following her last race on Hambletonian Day. "We're going to bring her back for the Milton," said Ryder on Sun Stakes Saturday, pointing towards the race at Woodbine Mohawk Park that has eliminations scheduled for September 6, if necessary, with the final on September 13. Twin B Joe Fresh wasn't the only horse coming out of Hambletonian Day that needed more time before returning to stakes action. Trainer Marcus Melander indicated that Maryland won't return until September 13's Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations at Woodbine Mohawk Park.  ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter "He got sick after the Hambletonian," Melander said of last year's 2-year-old champion that has now taken a back seat to stablemate Super Chapter following that one's 1:50 victory last Saturday in the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial over the Pocono five-eighths-mile track. Super Chapter followed up his second-place finish in the Hambletonian with an extraordinary effort, out-sprinting a game Emoticon Legacy in the closest finish of the day. Melander has one of the most promising 2-year-old trotting fillies racing as the aptly-named Setyoursightshigh has spanned two states with some impressive miles this year. The filly from the first crop of In Range has shown versatility and talent in just a handful of starts, most recently capturing a pair of $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series events at The Red Mile. "We're going back to Ohio with her and hopefully get enough points so that she can qualify for both the Ohio Sire Stakes championship and the Kentucky Championships," said Melander of Setyoursightshigh. Melander recalled some similarities between In Range, a son of Bar Hopping he trained as a 2-year-old, and his offspring. "In Range was not a good training horse," Melander said. "We brought him up to the Meadowlands before his first baby race and he struggled to train in 2:05. "Then I put him in a qualifier, and he was good and won his first start a week later in 1:55 (1/5." Setyoursightshigh only trotted in around 2:00 in her Meadowlands debut on June 7 but was timed in 1:57 in a second-place finish in her career debut at Oak Grove two weeks later. Setyoursightshigh won three straight stakes races in July, coming from off-the-pace in the Next Generation (July 5 at Scioto Downs), the Kentucky Sire Stakes final at Oak Grove on July 14 and the first leg of the Kentucky Championship at The Red Mile on July 30 in a career-best 1:53 1/5 mile. Trainer Andrew Harris has a stable filled with 2-year-olds that got plenty of attention at last year's yearling sales. The $1 million price tag for Cambridge Hanover may have seemed steep to some, but for Harris and his principal owners the three-quarter brother to Maryland may prove a bargain. Cambridge Hanover showed some class in his Wellwood elimination at Woodbine Mohawk Park this past Friday, getting beat in a win photo following a first-over journey. "I was very happy with him," said Harris. "He keeps getting better. He may finally be the one that breaks the curse." The curse is that none of the other seven-figure yearling purchases have matched race performance with lofty price point. Cambridge Hanover will get tested in Saturday's Wellwood final. "Todd McCarthy will drive him," Harris said with understanding that Dexter Dunn has opted for elimination winner Magic Punk. On the pacing side Harris' Brandon Blvd remained unbeaten following another victory in an $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series leg at The Red Mile on Sunday (August 17). The son of Downbytheseaside is the first colt and second foal from Alexis Faith, a $586K winner and half-sister to Test Of Faith. Brandon Blvd was a $425,000 Lexington Selected purchase last fall and is unbeaten in four career starts with a 1:49 3/5 career-best. "He's eligible to the Metro," said Harris of possible future engagements for Brandon Blvd. "It's a $1 million race this year, but it conflicts with the Kentucky Championship Series final." The Metro has eliminations on September 13 with the rich final on September 20. At this point in the season, Brandon Blvd looks as good as any 2-year-old pacer in North America. Congratulations to trainer John Butenschoen on his 2,000th career victory. "I've got a lot more losses," said Butenschoen on Saturday with a laugh. The veteran trainer, who suggested his age and an unwillingness to try any other profession have gotten him to this milestone, once again sent out a Sun Stakes Saturday winner with R Dutchess capturing the $125,000 Delmonica Hanover consolation in 1:52 2/5 for driver Tim Tetrick. They generally give out awards following the racing season, but it's going to be hard for any driver to match Jason Bartlett's extraordinary success with minimal extended travel. Bartlett drove Hempt winner Dandy Ideal like he was the best and got the American Ideal-sired gelding home to the delight of a large local rooting section. Bartlett wouldn't take no for an answer in his pursuit of the front in this race, and while others relented, including race favorite Prince Hal Hanover, who got away third, Dandy Ideal marched to the front in 25 4/5 and managed to rate a 54 3/5 half over a very fast piece of dirt. From there, it was a sprint and Bartlett got everything he could out of Dandy Ideal, who posted a career-best 1:48 2/5 clocking. While Dandy Ideal was among the favorites, Bartlett drove 48-1 shot Snack Attack in the $200,000 Hempt consolation as aggressively, snapping to the lead from post five with a 26 3/5 opener before yielding. Snack Attack avoided trouble and managed to come off the pylons on the final turn with Bartlett not waiting for the passing lane to open. That move allowed Snack Attack to gain momentum and survive a three-horse photo for his biggest career payday. Bartlett's mounts have earned $9 million already this year with the driver's UDRS rating a scorching .442.