Saratoga Harness: Chapter Seven fillies finish first in NYSS skirmishes
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Royal Filly and Canterbury Hanover were victorious in a pair of New York Sire Stakes sections for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Friday evening at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The first group went for a purse of $87,000 and Royal Filly (Tyler Buter) would win by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:55 2/5 after leading the way through fractions of 29, 58 2/5 and 1:26 4/5 from post one. Pride N Joy (Niko Karna) held second from a pocket trip, and Destiny's Darling (Jordan Stratton) stayed on the rail in the three-hole and ended up third.
A daughter of Chapter Seven bred by Jonas Schlabach, Royal Filly is trained by Tony Alagna for owner Crawford Farms Racing. She is now a three-time winner from 16 career starts, has earned $166,184 and paid $2.50 to win as the 1-4 favorite.
In the other $85,500 flight On The House (Marcus Miller) blasted to the front from post seven and put the 28 2/5 opening quarter on the board, but then made a break on the second turn, handing the top spot to pocket-sitting Jean's Action (Jim Devaux). Woolco (Jordan Stratton) would inherit the two-hole, but Stratton wheeled her to the outside prior to the 59 2/5 half, providing cover to Canterbury Hanover (Jeff Gregory).
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Jean's Action was able to fend off Woolco to the three-quarters in 1:29 2/5, but Woolco continued to loom on the outside and then advanced on the final bend to take the lead entering the stretch. Canterbury Hanover was in flight three-wide at that point, though, and after a duel through the stretch, Canterbury Hanover got her nose on the wire first in a 1:57 2/5 mile, just bettering a game Woolco. EL Mission Goddess (Buter) crossed the wire in third but was place fifth for racing inside pylons beyond the half, which elevated Jean's Action from fourth to third.
Gregory also trains Canterbury Hanover, another Chapter Seven filly, for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Jesmeral Stable. The Hanover Shoe Farms-bred has a record of 4-1-1 from 18 appearances, pushed her bankroll to $131,430 and returned $3.20 to win as the 3-5 chalk.