With one Grand Circuit win under his belt, Stretch The Line might get the chance to go for another in the upcoming MGM Springfield Stakes at Yonkers Raceway.
Stretch The Line won Friday’s $11,350 Landmark Stakes for two-year-old male pacers at Goshen Historic Track, going gate-to-wire in 2:00.2 with Tyler Buter at the lines for trainer Erv Miller. It was Stretch The Line’s first win in his second start. He went off stride on June 23 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
A gelding by Huntsville out of Jessalilmixup, he was purchased for $16,000 at the Goshen Yearling Sale. In addition to going off stride in his first start, Stretch The Line made a break in his first qualifier on June 9. He returned a week later to win a qualifier in 1:55 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Longtime Pennsylvania horsemen Don and Dave Wiest and Ed Kimmel developed a champion two-year-old trotter last season in the filly Love Muffin, who sold to Team Orange Crush over the winter after becoming the Pennsylvania Stallion Series championship. Now it looks like the longtime partners may be ready for another good season with baby trotters, as they took events for both sexes as The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted the two-year-olds for the first time on Wednesday morning (June 2).
First was the filly Gumdrop Hanover, who came a last half in :58.1 to win her bow in 2:01.4 for Kimmel and co-owner-trainer-driver David Wiest. The baby is a daughter of Bar Hopping out of Grits N Seven, a half-sister to $1.6M-winning champion Royalty For Life.
The biggest day of the Freehold Raceway season is coming up this Saturday (May 1), with the 2021 editions of the Dexter Cup, for three-year-old trotting colts & geldings, and the Lady Suffolk, for three-year-old trotting fillies. Both races were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but return with a flourish this year.
The Dexter Cup drew a field of eight, six of whom competed in last week s elimination while two received byes. Ambassador Hanover, for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt, makes his three-year-old debut in this spot after receiving a bye. He was impressive in the New York Sire Stakes last year, winning four legs in a row before finishing fourth in the final at Yonkers Raceway last September. He qualified at the Meadowlands on April 17, trotting the mile in 1:58.3. He will leave from post 2.
Rather than accept a bye and guarantee himself two Dexter Cup final starters, Ake Svanstedt decided to let Incommunicado compete in Saturday s (April 24) Dexter Cup elimination at Freehold Raceway.
The gamble paid off, as Incommunicado cruised under the wire 2-3/4 lengths in front and established himself as one of the favourites for next week s Dexter Cup final.
When the entry box closed on Wednesday, ten horses were entered for the Dexter Cup. Svanstedt was offered two byes with his pair of Ambassador Hanover and Incommunicado, and while he accepted the bye with the former, he decided to race Incommunicado. The Massachusetts Sire Stakes champion was made the 8/5 second choice in the field of eight.
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