Feeling You was first away from the gate, but yielded to Anndrovette at the quarter in :26.3. As the field swung into the clubhouse turn toward the half-mile marker, Shelliscape and driver David Miller were out and moving, looking for cover from seventh.
They found live cover in Rocklamation, whom driver Yannick Gingras announced on Twitter that he was going to “get her attention tonight.” He must have succeeded, because after the half in :54.1, Rocklamation cleared over Anndrovette, who was shooting for an unprecedented third consecutive Breeders Crown win.
“I took back and then came early and came hard and got Yannick out, which was perfect,” said Miller after the race. “When he cleared I was a little nervous, but my mare was still going forward. She’s just all guts.”
When she cleared, that left Shelliscape without cover, but the 4-year-oldArtiscape-Shell I Scoot mare didn’t mind, as she continued to gain steady ground on the leader, winning by a neck. Rocklamation was second with Anndrovette third.
It was the second Breeders Crown win on the night for Miller, who also scored with Uffizi Hanover in the 2-year-old filly pace final. He was high on this mare, to say the least.
“She raced awesome last week and came back with a very big mile tonight,” said Miller. “All I can do is praise her.”
P.J. Fraley trains Shelliscape for Bamond Racing LLC, who also co-owns Anndrovette. Midland Acres Inc. of Ohio bred the mare. Shelliscape ($10.20) has won four of 16 starts this year with earnings of $274,308.
“I’d have liked to have seen Anndrovette win just to get her third one, but Shelliscape was so good last week that I almost felt like she earned it last week,” said Jeffery Bamond, Jr. “Last week’s trip kind of earned this one for her tonight.
“There was a lot of action. Drop The Ball broke and she’s always so tough, and on a five-eighths she’s scary fast. It was a good trip, although we kind of got left first-over, but she just kept grinding it out.”