Tioga Downs: Plunge Blue Chip clocks a track record for a rookie trotting filly

Plunge Blue Chip stayed undefeated from four starts and picked up the second track record of her 2-year-old season after winning the last of three $37,966 New York Sire Stakes events for trotting fillies on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs in 1:55 1/5.

Driven by trainer Ake Svanstedt, Plunge Blue Chip took over the lead from stable-mate Fury Road (Mark MacDonald) on the way to the 58 2/5 half-mile marker, and she would not relinquish it from there, winning by a length and three-quarters over Lucky Rainbow (David Miller). Atlanta (Rick Zeron) brushed from fifth to third in the final quarter.

The previous track record of 1:55 2/5 had belonged to four horses, including New York Sire Stakes standout Barn Bella.

A daughter of Muscle Mass, Plunge Blue Chip, whose other track record came on June 30 at Buffalo Raceway, is owned by Svanstedt and breeder Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. Plunge Blue Chip, who has earned $54,083, was a $42,000 Harrisburg buy and is the second foal out of the Donato Hanover mare Dunk The Donato. Dunk The Donato's dam Irene's Lucky Lady (Winky's Pine) is a half-sister to $3.5 million earner Mr. Muscleman. Plunge Blue Chip was the 3-5 choice and paid $3.20 to win.

The other divisions featured upsets, starting with 64-1 shot Setntheworldonfire (Troy Beyer) in the opener. She was sixth at the half and fourth at three-quarters, then kicked home in 28 4/5 to get up and defeat fellow closer A Gift For You (Tim Tetrick) by a neck in a 1:57 1/5 mile. Big Checkmate (Don Dupont), who led from past the 27 4/5 opening quarter into the stretch, wound up third.

It was the lifetime debut for Setntheworldonfire, a Muscles Yankee filly co-owned by trainer Noel Daley and Bridle Path Stables LTD. Taken out of the Standardbred Horse Sale for $25,000, Setntheworldonfire was bred by Karen Carroll is out of the Angus Hall mare Gaelic ($157,865), making Setntheworldonfire a full sister to Talbotcreek Jewely ($199,923). She returned $130.00 to win.

In the second split Perfect Summer K (Brian Sears) put panels of 28 1/5, 57 4/5, and 1:27 1/5 on the board, but 15-1 White Cheetah (MacDonald) out-kicked her through the lane from second-over to score by a length in 1:57 4/5. Jackie Newlands (Scott Zeron) was the third-place finisher.

"To be honest with you she's never really had a fair shake," MacDonald said about her season to date. "Every time she's been second I've been caught in and running horses over late. I think maybe those trip-out, up-the-inside, no room efforts paid dividends today. I was hoping they'd come back a little because she's got a big run in her. Like I said she's been caught in the last few, so I hoped she'd be feeling really sharp. I was just hoping to get lucky and maybe get up.

"She's just learning. She's really just learning speed. I think she'll learn to go a lot faster than that. She's a really, really nice filly to drive and has a nice mouth. (Trainer Paul Kelley)'s done a great job with her."

Kelley also co-owns the victorious filly by Muscle Mass with partners Joe Sbrocco and Stable 45. She broke her maiden in her fourth try, and she has now put away $33,799. White Cheetah, a $35,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale acquisition bred by P C Wellwood Enterprises, Alan Hainsworth, William Weaver, and Kelley, is the first foal out of the Conway Hall mare Wheely Quick, a half-sister to Wheeling N Dealin (Cantab Hall, $913,975) and Sugar Wheeler (Angus Hall, $356,163). She paid $33.80 to win.