Red Mile: Test Of Faith polishes off freshman season in style

Test Of Faith completed her 2-year-old campaign by entering an elite group of rookie pacers to own a sub-1:49 mark as she won her $131,000 International Stallion Stakes flight for fillies on Friday afternoon at The Red Mile in 1:48 4/5. Fire Start Hanover scored her fifth consecutive victory in the other division.

Driver David Miller sent Test Of Faith away from the gate today, and she would clear Marsala Hanover (Scott Zeron) beyond the 27 2/5 opening quarter. Test Of Faith remained in front from there, posting middle-half panels of 54 1/5 and 1:22 2/5, and kicked home in 26 2/5 to win by a length and a half over Notorious Pink (Tim Tetrick). Marsala Hanover ended up third.

The time of 1:48 4/5 came up just a fifth of a second shy of Warrawee Ubeaut's standard for the group, set two years ago in Lexington.

"She's always been perfect. If you had 20 horses like her, you wouldn't have much of a job to do," said trainer Brett Pelling. "She's just been flawless all the way through. She's surprised me. We always really liked her, but that's going to another level what she's done the last three weeks.

"I kind of thought (Miller) would just do what he's done for the last two weeks, but the drivers are smart. They know that they probably have no chance just letting her eyeball them, so let's see if she can cut one out, but she's raced in New York enough. Jimmy Marohn did a great job with her, and he always came back and said 'man, I can't wait to pop those plugs and ask her,' so she's been lovely on the front-end as well."

A filly by Art Major, Test Of Faith is trained by Pelling for owners Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable, and Eddie Gran. She has eight victories and a second from nine efforts, and she has now banked $500,000. Bred by Fred Hertrich, Test Of Faith fetched $92,000 at the 2019 Standardbred Horse Sale and is the fourth foal of the Cam's Card Shark mare Cannae Cammie (1:50 2/5, $538,140). This makes Test Of Faith a half-sister to Alexis Faith (American Ideal, 1:50 3/5, $584,424) and to Can't Beach That (Somebeachsomewhere, 1:49, $204,600). Test Of Faith paid $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

Not eligible to the Breeders Crown or Three Diamonds later in the year, Pelling confirmed that today was the last time we'll see Test Of Faith on the track in 2020.

"That was it for her today. She'll go Kentuckiana tomorrow, and she'll have a nice three or four months off," he remarked. "We'll see if we can beat the critics who say that Art Major fillies don't come back at 3. Let's see how we can disprove that."

Fire Start Hanover (Dexter Dunn) worked her way around Odds On Whitney (Tetrick) for control before the 28 1/5 opening quarter in the second split, and she would continue on the front-end through a 55 4/5 half and a 1:24 three-quarters. In the lane Fire Start Hanover put away a first-over Continualou (Joe Bongiorno) and went on to win by a length and three-quarters in 1:50 3/5. Blue Diamond Eyes (Miller) rallied to finish second after getting shuffled back on the inside, and JK Alwaysbalady (Yannick Gingras) advanced from sixth to third in the final panel.

The victorious daughter of Somebeachsomewhere is trained by Nifty Norman for owners Pinske Stables, David Hoese, and Lawrence Means. She now has a record of 6-1-0 from nine appearances, and she pushed her earnings to $211,336. Fire Start Hanover, who is out of the Art Major mare Fit To Frame (1:53 1/5, $16,134), was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc. and was a $105,000 purchase at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale. Fit To Frame is a three-quarter sister to the Artsplace mare Glowing Report (1:49 2/5, $2,078,249). The 4-5 choice, Fire Start Hanover returned $3.60 to win.