Pocono: Woodside Charm blows away field in her Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot elim

Woodside Charm turned in an eye-popping 1:53 mile and defeated her foes by double-digit lengths in the second of three $25,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot eliminations on Friday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Driven by trainer Verlin Yoder, Woodside Charm led through fractions of 27 2/5, 57 2/5, and 1:25, opening up a gap on pocket-sitter Asiago (Brian Sears) in the backstretch. Woodside Charm continued to pour it on through the final quarter, opening up all the way and winning by 12 1/2 lengths. Stella Jane (George Napolitano Jr.) and Miss You Kelly (Tim Tetrick), at 55-1 and 54-1, respectively, also moved on to the final.

A daughter of Chapter Seven, Woodside Charm is also owned by Yoder, and she has earned $221,658 to go with her perfect six-for-six mark. Woodside Charm, out of the Muscles Yankee mare Fireworks Hanover (1:55 2/5, $15,525) and bred by Av And Son Bloodstock LLC., is a half-sister to Explosive Matter (Cantab Hall, 1:52 3/5, $1,510,542). She returned $2.40 to win.

Back in the opening elimination there was an upset as Champagne Jane (Bob McClure) picked a great time to break her maiden, scoring in 1:55 4/5 at odds of 7-1.

The Ontario import trailed through opening-half fractions of 27 4/5 and 56 2/5, and stayed in to save ground to the 1:26 1/5 three-quarters. McClure activated his filly off the cones midway through the final bend to catch the cover of favored Whispering Oaks (Yannick Gingras), who had to go three-wide to get around a parked-out Conway Kellyanne (Charlie Norris) in the backstretch, then fired her out three-wide for the stretch drive.

Special Honor (Andy Miller) had been the long-time leader and was clear into the lane, but Champagne Jane came with a big stretch kick that carried her to the win by half a length. Whispering Oaks overcame the tough trip to get third and a position in the final.

"I just wanted to make sure she had a flat line and got away on the right foot," explained McClure. "With the short field I wasn't too worried about being too far back. My main goal was to get her in the final, but she really kicked home, so it was good.

"She battled health issues all summer and last week Luc (trainer Luc Blais) was confident that they cleared up her allergies and health issues. He did a really good job and last week (second by a neck in the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final) she surprised a lot of people; she raced huge. I expected her to be even better tonight."

Serge Godin's Determination stable owns Champagne Jane, a daughter of Holiday Road. This was her first win in her eighth effort, and she has now earned $103,447. Champagne Jane, who was bred by Blais, is out of the Promising Catch mare Dicent No (1:57, $130,582), making her a half-sister to On A Sunny Day (Muscle Mass, 1:52 4/5, $476,845). She paid $17.40 to win.

When Dovescry (Simon Allard) knocked off The Ice Dutchess at The Red Mile and did the same thing on this night, winning the final elimination in 1:54.

Starting from the outside post seven, When Dovescry showed strong speed away from the gate and cleared the field well before the 26 4/5 opening quarter. Allard then rated his charge kindly through a 56 3/5 half and a 1:24 3/5 three-quarters, and that gave her plenty left to fend off the first-over try from The Ice Dutchess (Gingras), prevailing by 2 1/4 lengths. Cloud Nine Fashion (Tetrick) grabbed third.

"She's a great filly. We knew all year; we just were very patient with her and taught her the right things," stated Simon Allard. "Tonight she was full of herself. With the retention barn, she didn't drink much and sometimes you get a little tie-up. She was a little warm tonight, but we'll work on that, and hopefully she comes back even better next week.

"Rene (Simon's brother, trainer Rene Allard) told the owners last winter we've got her staked only late. He spent $200,000 as a yearling, and you want to keep them as a 3- and 4-year-old, so that's the plan."

Rene Allard trains When Dovescry, a daughter of Muscle Hill, for owners Go Fast Stable, Yves Sarrazin, Kapildeo Singh, and Lawrence Dumain. This was her fourth win from six starts, and she has now earned $63,810. Bred by William Weaver, When Dovescry was a $205,000 acquisition at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and she is the first foal out of Cedar Dove (Andover Hall, 1:52 4/5, $1,178,930), herself a Breeders Crown champion in 2011. When Dovescry was a 7-2 shot tonight and returned $9.40 to win.

This is how the fillies will line up for next week's final:

1-When Dovescry
2-Woodside Charm
3-Champagne Jane
4-Cloud Nine Fashion
5-Special Honor
6-Whispering Oaks
7-Miss You Kelly
8-The Ice Dutchess
9-Stella Jane