Juliet's Fate - 2FP
bay filly , 2, by Jate Lobell – Loving Proof, by Cam Fella
Owners
Southwind Farm
The first of the eight Breeders Crown races to traverse the newest pari-mutuel track in the country was the two-year-old pacing fillies; a group that has always out-performed the high expectations set for them. As always, in their diversity lays their charm. Her Mattjesty represented the high end of the spectrum – royally-bred, a sister to 1996 Breeders Crown champion His Mattjesty, and the highest priced pacing filly of 1997 at $150,000. Her owner Bob Waxman, possessed champion thoroughbreds and standardbreds alike and had for many years. Trained by Bob McIntosh and driven by Mike Lachance, who between them had captured 26 Crown trophies, Her Mattjesty had won six of her 12 starts, and a nice collection of stakes. Her stablemate, Mattaroni, was owned by Armstrong Bros., and driven by John Campbell who wins races as he pleases. She won the richest race of the season, the Sweetheart, and had an earnings lead on the field with $565,784.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was Future Millbank, who luckily was not told of her humble origins. Trainer Carl Conte had plucked her from a yearling sale for a mere $5,200, on the say-so of his 10-year-old daughter. In four starts Future Millbank managed three wins and close to $300,000, most of that from the hefty purse attached to the Three Diamonds. Owned by Conte, and Marilyn Tully and her son John, Future Millbank was better than a winning lottery ticket to her connections, and the pride of their very small stable.
Alan Riegle had won this event before for Brittany Farms with Take Flight in 1997, while his father did the same the year before with Before Sunrise. The Riegles were going for a triple with Under Your Spell. Lost At The Beach, also a $5,200 purchase, was looking for another Crown credit for her sire Beach Towel, who’s Paige Nicole Q won this event in 1995. Stew Firlotte trained the great pacing mare Town Pro – she was the first pacer to ever win back-to-back Crowns -- and he sent two fillies to post. Possesive Jate and Mary Mattgalene, who was owned in part by the E-Mail Stable, a group formed among members of an internet list that focused on harness racing.
Who would stand in the Crown winner circle? Neither end of the spectrum on this night, but a filly who truly defined the word formful. Juliet’s Fate was a moderately expensive yearling at $55,000, and she had qualified somewhat late in the year, in August. A lot of the big summer money had gone by already. Yet she picked up close to $300,000, raced eight times and was never worse than second. Though not flashy, she was purposeful, and rightfully attracted the wagering public’s eye despite the value entries in the field.
Driver Jack Moiseyev had piloted Future Millbank to victory in the first of two Breeders Crown elimination heats one week prior to the final at Colonial Downs. The Falcon Seelster filly was making just her third lifetime start, yet bested the game Her Mattjesty in the final strides to win by a length in 1:54.2.
Trainer | Driver
Brett Pelling | George Brennan
Future Millbank had to wait for eight hours in the horse trailer when it broke down enroute to Colonial Downs prior to her Crown elimination victory. Trainer Conte said he thought it may have “dulled her a bit,” despite her impressive win.
Genuine Lady, who represented classic breeding lines, being by Abercrombie from a Niatross mare, captured the other Crown elimination, closing from last to best four rivals in a Colonial Downs track record time of 1:52.3. Juliet’s Fate was second, while Mattaroni finished third, beaten two lengths. The daughter of Abercrombie was making just her second trip to the winner’s circle in 14 starts for trainer Ivan Sugg and owners RX Lex Stable.
Leaving from the unique Colonial Downs chute, the field of freshman distaffers quickly jumbled for positions. Her Mattjesty, handled by Mike Lachance held the early lead, but at the quarter marker let the Lost At The Beach and Tony Morgan go to the top. John Campbell then ranged up into second with Mattaroni, and the field hit the half-mile marker in 54.3. The order remained unchanged as the eight fillies headed around the sweeping turn, and as they straightened out for the 1,400-foot stretch, Brennan began to tip Juliet’s Fate, following the cover of Mattaroni, in route to his first Breeders Crown driving title.
With no Romeo in sight, Juliet’s Fate added her name to the list of Breeders Crown victors as she captured the $431,800 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace in an impressive come-from-behind victory for driver George Brennan and trainer Brett Pelling in 1:52.
With a fast Colonial Downs racing surface, the Jate Lobell filly turned on the steam in route to her Crown win, her sixth of the year in nine outings. She also won by the widest margin of any of the Crown finals contested in 1998, by four and three-quarter lengths. Mattaroni stayed game to keep second money while Genuine Lady and Duke Sugg who had been following Juliet’s Fate, closed for third, another length behind.
Trainer Brett Pelling picked up his fourth Crown victory with Juliet’s Fate, who won for the sixth time in nine starts and posted a career and national season’s mark with her effort. The time also obliterated the previous stakes best of 1:53.3 set by Central Park West in 1988. A $55,000 yearling purchase by Allen and Connie Skolnick’s Southwind Farms, Juliet’s Fate gave the Skolnick’s their first Crown championship, as their only previous taste came as the breeders of Mystical Maddy in 1996. Juliet’s Fate, who had finished second to Genuine Lady in their Breeders Crown elimination heat, was bred by William Weaver’s Valley High Stable, who has had remarkable success from his small broodmare band, including the prolific sire Valley Victory, a Breeders Crown champ of 1988.
The Crown victory by Juliet’s Fate gave sire Jate Lobell his 48th Crown starter and his fourth Crown victory as a sire.
Purse $431,800
Colonial Downs, New Kent, VA - November 14, 1998
Extras
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