Only four challengers. The rail on a half-mile track.
Everything looked to be in Googoo Gaagaa's favour heading into the 2012
Yonkers Trot Final. Of course, there's a reason why they just didn't give
him the money: anything can happen in a horse race, especially with
trotters.
In the $445,594 dash contesting the first leg of
trotting's Triple Crown, Jim Morrill hustled
Archangel out from the outside five hole and was
asked to work for it as Corey Callahan sprinted on
with 2-5 shot Googoo Gaagaa. Morrill was able to
clear and it appeared that Callahan would try to
retake, but opted to sit in through the :27.4
quarter. Somewhere around that far turn, Googoo
Gaagaa got steppy in the pocket and went offstride,
totally changing the complexion of the race.
Callahan reset his trotter but the back of the field
was easily 10 lengths ahead of him.
Archangel - Wiring Yonkers Raceway's 58th Yonkers Trot
Mike LIZZI Photo |
Archangel
continued through the uncontested :56.4 half as
Stormin Normand (John Campbell) sat the pocket.
Googoo Gaagaa caught the field just past the half
and sat fourth heading into the backstretch. Market
Share (Jeff Gregory) pulled from third to start the
outer flow and provide Googoo Gaagaa some cover as
the third panel was reached in 1:25.1. In almost the
same spot on the track as before, Googoo Gaagaa went
offstride again.
Into the stretch, Morrill asked the pacesetter
for more as Stormin Normand dipped to the inside to
challenge but Archangel was up for it and repelled
that bid for the 1:54.1 local stakes record, all-age
track record and three-year-old trotting colt world
record score. Market Share was third was Googoo
Gaagaa far behind in fourth.
After the races, driver Corey Callahan told
Trot Insider that Googoo Gaagaa did in fact
make breaks in the same spot on that turn and
attributed it to the horse not getting good footing
on that location on the track.
"It just wasn't his day."
Callahan continued to note that Googoo Gaagaa
came out of the race fine and will look to rebound
in next Saturday's Stanley Dancer Memorial Trot at
the Meadowlands.
After finishing second in
his seasonal debut,
Archangel (Credit Winner
- Michelles Angel) has been
unbeatable, rattling off six
straight wins for trainer
and co-owner Pete Arrigenna,
Alan Hainsworth and Clare
Semer.
"I've been
fortunate, he's been a
sweetheart from Day One. A
pleasure to drive," stated
Morrill after the Yonkers
Trot win, noting that this
colt has always shown a ton
of ability. "We raced him
the Breeders Crown last year,
he got tangled up in his
hopples and I was loking for
ward to racing his this year."
Morrill told Yonkers'
Frank Drucker after the race
that Archangel's best game
isn't on the front end
despite how solid he raced.
"He's still half green.
We haven't seen the bottom
of him yet."
Arrigenna wasn't worried
by the style and tempo of
the race.
"This horse can take a
lot of air. I wasn't worried
about the first quarter.
When he gets on top with
horses pressing, he keeps
right on going."
Owner Hainsworth couldn't
say enough about the job
that Arrigenna has done with
Archangel.
"Pete's done a marvelous
job with this colt. He had a
program with him over the
winter and he continues to
develop."
Earlier on the card in a
non-wagering event, Check Me
Out and trainer-driver Ray
Schnittker captured the
$185,194 Hudson Filly Trot
with a 1:56.1 score over
Real Babe (Gregory) and Aunt
Mel (Brent Holland).
