Red Mile: Allerage Farms Open Pace to McWicked in second-fastest race mile ever

McWicked turned in the second-fastest race mile ever and the third-fastest clocking overall with a 1:46 2/5 performance in Saturday afternoon's $179,000 Allerage Farms Open Pace.

Starting from the pole position in the field of nine and with Brian Sears calling the shots, McWicked got away in the fourth position while Western Fame (Brett Miller) launched to the lead from the outside post and hit the opening quarter in 26 1/5. Heaven Rocks A (David Miller) then came to call on the outside as he pulled from third and surged into command.

Heaven Rocks A would go on to hit the half in a big 52 1/5, with Filibuster Hanover (Matt Kakaley) pulling first-up from third past that marker. That gave McWicked a second-over trip to the 1:19 three-quarters, with Lazarus (Yannick Gingras), who had been out the whole way trying to flush McWicked, now third-over.

That 1:19 three-quarters was three-fifths quicker than Always B Miki went in his record 1:46 mile, and it looked like that might be in jeopardy as McWicked came three-wide to overtake Filibuster Hanover in the stretch. Lazarus also fanned wide and made up some ground late in the going, but McWicked stayed in front by three-parts of a length, just missing Always B Miki's mark by two-fifths of a second and settling one-fifth behind Cambest's time trial at Springfield. Filibuster Hanover was the third-place finisher.

"There were a few things to think about with one of Burke's and Takter's on the front, but the trip worked out perfectly," remarked Sears.

Casie Coleman trains McWicked, a 7-year-old McArdle stallion, for owner Ed James and his S S G Stables. This was McWicked's 30th career victory, and he has now put away $3,375,376. He was the 3-2 second favorite and returned $5.00 to win.

Coleman said that the plan was to take McWicked back to Canada before the Breeders Crown originally, but that has changed as James accepted an invitation from Yonkers Raceway to race in a $250,000 pace on the International Trot undercard next Saturday.