Major Look Leads New York-bred Superfecta in the $190,850 Mistletoe Shalee;

Sunday, 15 July 2012 10:13

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Heston Blue Chip Finishes Fourth in the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace

By Bill Heller

Just about everyone expected a New York-bred to win the $190,950 Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old filly pacers at The Meadowlands Saturday night. They didn’t expect that winner to be Major Look, a 10-1 longshot who upset 1-10 New York-bred favorite American Jewel, the top-ranked horse in North America, by three-quarters of a length in 1:49 3/5.

There were two other New York-breds in this prestigious stakes, Bettor B Lucky and Shellscape, and when they finished third and fourth at odds of 24-1 and 53-1, respectively, they completed a New York-bred superfecta.

Last year, Major Look, a daughter of Art Major, won New York Sire Stakes events at Vernon Downs and Yonkers before finishing fifth in the NYSS Final at Saratoga to Handsoffmycookie.At 10-1 for trainer Kevin McDermott and driver Andy Miller,

Major Look was actually the second choice in the wagering to American Jewel, who had already set one world record this year and tied another for trainer Jimmy Takter and driver Tim Tetrick.

                   Major Look led briefly before Tetrick rushed American Jewel to the front after a :26 4/5 opening quarter. American Jewel led through a half in :54 3/5 and three-quarters in 1:22 1/5 before Miller popped the pocket. Major Look wore down American Jewel late to win by three-quarters of a length. Bettor B Lucky was another half length back in third and Shellscape another two lengths back in fourth.

                  The dime New York-bred superfecta paid $80.46.

                  The featured stakes was the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace and Kenny Jacobs’ three-year-old star Heston Blue Chip, who’d won the faster of two eliminations a week earlier, went off the 9-2 third choice from the three post for trainer Linda Toscano and Tetrick. Thinking Out Loud, who’d finished second to Heston Blue Chip in the elimination, was the 2-1 favorite and Sweet Lou, who’d won the other elimination, 3-1. On the rail, A Rocknroll Dance, was a slightly longer 9-2 fourth choice.

                   Tetrick had engineered a perfect trip in the elimination, but Heston Blue Chip wasn’t as lucky in the Final. Shuffled back to fifth six lengths off the lead, Tetrick had to wait for a first-over flow to develop to get his colt into the race, which he did. But he had to tip off his cover and race widest of all in the stretch to try to catch A Rocknroll Dance, who had led, ceded the top to 102-1 longshot Allstar Legend, and quickly retaken. He had plenty left in the stretch for Yannick Gingras as Heston Blue Chip tried to close the gap.

                      Heston Blue Chip narrowed a four-length deficit to two, but couldn’t’ reach the leader or the huge longshot in the pocket. A Rocknroll Dance held off 17-1 longshot Pet Rock by a length and a half with Allstar Legend a neck back in third in 1:48 1/5. Heston Blue Chip, who paced his second half in :53 1/5, held off Sweet Lou to finish fourth, only beaten two lengths. Previously, Heston Blue Chip had 16 wins and two seconds in 18 career starts.

                   “ I got the three hole and we don’t leave, and it just didn’t put him in the race,” Jacobs said Sunday morning. “He raced well. He came home in :53, but he was too far back to make a difference. But it’s nice to be in it and to get New York into the big race.” Jacobs’ Kenny J also finished fourth in the Meadowlands Pace in 2:07.

                   Also on The Meadowlands card, New York-bred Bettor’s Edge, trained by Toscano and driven by Tetrick, finished second by 8 ¾ lengths in the $100,000 Meadowlands Pace Consolation to 3-5 favorite Hurrikane Kingcole, whose winning time of 1:47 3/5 was faster than the Final.

                  And in the $245,500 Del Miller Memorial Trot, New York-bred Win Missy B finished second to heavily favored Check Me Out.