And she’s economical in her energy dispersal: her total winning margin in her three victories was eight feet, or one length.
On Tuesday, Andrew McCarthy moved her uncovered on the second turn, then picked up the cover of pocketpulling Critical Hanover, who went to the lead near the three-quarters, leaving Spring In Paris uncovered. The gritty three-year-old just kept her mind to business and finally wore down her rival by half a length – the largest margin in her three Weiss victories. Steve LeBlanc conditions the consistent miss, now undefeated her four seasonal starts, for LeBlanc Racing Inc., Glenn Dyke, and Douglas Johnson.
The only other horse in this division to notch two Weiss prelim wins was the Cantab Hall filly Fade Into You, who moved to the lead early and went on to a handy five-length triumph in a personal best of 1:56. Fade Into You has now sandwiched wins around a break in Weiss racing, and must be respected as a Weiss Final contender for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Phil Collura.
Town Hall Justice picked the occasion of her moving into the Rene Allard barn to break a 19-race losing streak and earn enough points to make the Weiss Final. Driver/brother Simon Allard made two moves with the Justice Hall mare and lowered her mark two seconds to 1:56.4 while defeating Cayenne Victory by two lengths. Rene Allard is also the owner of the victress.
The Weiss Series $30,000 Championship for this division, in addition to a $15,000 consolation if it fills, will be conducted on Tuesday, April 23, and the unofficial top pointwinners in the prelims are: 1. Spring In Paris, 2. Fade Into You, 3. Lollipop Lindy, 4. Nicole Hanover, 5. Royal Esteem, 6. (tie) Moshannon Magic and Town Hall Justice, 8. Meadowbranch Vicki, 9. Run Lindy Run; Dawn Of Glory and Whip N Neigh Neigh are next in the points, in that order, and thus would be the AE1 and AE 2 “on the bubble” for the Championship, and likely among the top contenders in the consolation.
Tequila Monday started her five-year-old campaign with over $740,000 in career earnings, and based on her three starts this year, all victories, she may be as good as she ever has been, which could be bad news for the best of the pacing mare set. The American Ideal quarter-moved going by a 27.1 opener in the $21,500 featured for fast-class distaffs, made the lead, then went on to fractions of 55.1 and 1:23.1, finally stopping the timer in 1:50.2, with a game Eclipse Me N following from the pocket to wind up only 1-¼ lengths behind. Matt Kakaley got the sulky assignment from trainer Hunter Oakes for the Northfolk Racing Stable and Chuck Pompey.