See You At Peelers remains undefeated on Super Stakes Sunday
Chester, PA --- The only anxious moment driver Marcus Johansson endured Sunday was getting caught in a traffic jam on his way to Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack. Once at the track, and reunited with harness racing’s No. 1-ranked horse, See You At Peelers, it was business as usual.
Johansson drove See You At Peelers to the 22nd consecutive win of her career, capturing the $350,000 Valley Forge Stakes for 3-year-old filly pacers by four lengths over Krispy Apple in 1:50.2 over a track labeled “good” at Harrah’s Chester.
Her win streak is harness racing’s fourth longest in the U.S. over the last 20 years. Only St Elmo Hero, with 25 in a row, set in 2010-11, Bestdealintown, 24 in 1995 and Sanabelle Island, 23 in 1996-97, have fared better since the beginning of 1992.
According to U.S. Trotting Association records, Carty Nagle owns the sport’s longest win streak of 41, set from 1937-38.
Also at Chester on “Super Stakes Sunday,” Manofmanymissions, the beaten favorite in the Hambletonian on Aug. 6, won the $500,000 Colonial by three-quarter lengths over Dejarmbro in a track-record-equaling 1:53, and Roll With Joe, the Meadowlands Pace winner, won the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine by a nose over Alsace Hanover, in 1:49.2.
See You At Peelers, the 4-5 favorite trained by Jimmy Takter, went to the front on the first turn and never gave up the lead. Krispy Apple was second throughout most of the mile, but unable to get within a length of the winner. Idyllic finished third. The final time was one-fifth of a second off the track record.
“I tried to stay out of trouble in the first turn,” driver Marcus Johansson said. “I moved her and she took me home from there. She got me around there pretty good. She’s just a great horse.”
Johansson, who raced in Canada on Saturday night, got stopped briefly in traffic on his drive south to Chester.
“I was scared I was going to get stuck and not get here and time,” Johansson said. “That’s the only anxious moment I had. There were no anxious moments out there (on the track).”
See You At Peelers is nine-for-nine this year, with $904,303 in purses. She has earned $1.48 million in her career for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding and Jim Fielding.
Her win Sunday at rainy Chester was in her first start since July 28 at Yonkers Raceway, where she set the track record of 1:52.2 in winning a division of the New York Sire Stakes. She was scheduled to race last Sunday at Tioga Downs, but was scratched because of heavy rain and a sloppy track.
“I’ve got to say, they keep this track pretty firm when they know it’s going to rain,” Johansson said. “I was a little worried when it started raining kind of hard, but the track worked out good. I was happy with that.
“We intended to race last week, it just didn’t work out,” he continued. “She’s just a great horse. It doesn’t matter. For $350,000, you’re going to race even if it’s raining a little bit. She takes care of me by herself. What a horse.”
In the Colonial, Manofmanymissions won his second consecutive start since going off-stride and finishing eighth in the Hambletonian. He has won four of his last five.
David Miller drove Manofmanymissions for trainer Erv Miller because the colt’s regular pilot, Andy Miller, was committed to driving Whatever It Takes, a horse trained by his wife, Julie.
“Erv told me a little bit about him,” David Miller said. “If he’s good, he’s going to trot; if he’s not good, he’s not going to trot. He was very good last week in the (New Jersey Sire Stakes) final. Maybe the track suited him, being a little bit wet today.”