Incommunicado wins Dexter Cup at Freehold
Freehold, NJ — Off an impressive win in last week’s elimination, expectations were high for Incommunicado in Saturday’s $115,583 Dexter Cup final at Freehold Raceway. He lived up to all of them, cruising to an impressive 3-1/2 length win in 1:56.3.
Just like he did in his elimination, Incommunicado drew post position seven in the field of eight. That did not deter the betting public, who made him the 3-5 favorite.
Incommunicado cruised to an impressive 3-1/2 length win in 1:56.3. Vicki Wright/World Wide Racing Studios.
At the start, Yannick Gingras immediately pushed the gas pedal, sending his drive up to the front. Without much trouble, Gingras got him to the lead and the inside at the opening quarter, trotting that split in :28.2.
Incommunicado slowed things down in the second quarter, trotting the opening half-mile in :58.4, but soon encountered first-over pressure from Believer.
Believer moved up to Incommunicado’s throatlatch around the third turn, but Incommunicado held firm and would not let his rival by. Turning for home, he pulled clear and left his rivals in the dust in a final time of 1:56.3. Sunny Crockett, Fifty Ways, Ambassador Hanover, Believer, Chapolier, Credit Con, and Share The Wealth completed the order of finish.
Incommunicado is owned by Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E, Arthur Geiger, and David Stolz, and trained by Ake Svanstedt. He made waves last year by sweeping the Massachusetts Sire Stakes at Plainridge Park, winning the final by 17-1/4 lengths. Subsequently, he was second in the Matron at Dover Downs by a half-length. For his career, he’s won six times from 12 starts, with earnings of $282,283.
“I wanted to get him in the race and when (Credit Con) made a break in the first turn, it made things a little easier for me.” said Gingras, who won his second straight edition of the Dexter Cup. “I knew (starting from post seven) wasn’t ideal. I knew it was going to be harder than last week, there wasn’t going to be a hole or something like that, but he still did it pretty easy. The horse raced good and did the job. He’s a nice horse. He does everything you ask of him.”
Izzy Demsky, Spruce Creek win Lady Suffolk divisions
Each of the two divisions of the Lady Suffolk trot featured an odds-on favorite. In both cases, the odds-on favorite went down to defeat, as Izzy Demsky and Spruce Creek prevailed in their respective divisions.
Izzy Demsky surged by her tired rival to win by two lengths in 1:58.4. Vicki Wright/World Wide Racing Studios.
In the $36,057 first division, Illuminata, for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt, was the 3-5 favorite in the seven-horse field. Izzy Demsky, a three-time winner in the New York Sire Stakes Excelsior A series last summer, was 7-2.
Svanstedt put Illuminata on the lead early as she cruised through fast fractions. Although she looked clear turning for home, she grew leg-weary in the last eighth and Izzy Demsky surged by her tired rival to win by two lengths in 1:58.4.
Jula Shines On, also trained by Svanstedt, got up for second, while Illuminata was third. The Queen B, Victoriana, Just Joshing, and Lilybet completed the order of finish.
Izzy Demsky is owned by Courant Inc., trained by Marcus Melander, and driven by Mattias Melander. In her career, she’s now won four times from nine starts, with earnings of $57,583.
“It didn’t work out as I thought it would,” said Mattias Melander. “I wanted to go for a position up front, but everybody left (off the gate) and she actually hit the bike in the turn for me, so I had to pull her up. But everything turned out good after that. She was real good. She was better than she was last week. I was very happy with her.”
In the second division, Ron Burke trainee Hot As Hill was the overwhelming 2-5 favorite in the field of seven. However, while on the lead at the three-eighth point, she made a costly break. While Joe Bongiorno quickly got her back trotting, she was parked on the outside and lost precious ground.
Spruce Creek stormed up the outside late to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:58. Vicki Wright/World Wide Racing Studios.
Julie Miller-trained Alpine, with driver Andy Miller, inherited the lead as a result and turned for home with the lead. However, 15-1 longshot Spruce Creek, who was rated on the pylons the whole way by Dan Dube, stormed up the outside late to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:58. Alpine, Insured Am S, Move Over Some, Hot As Hill, Presto, and Big Sky Suprise rounded out the order of finish.
Spruce Creek is owned by Robert Don Fellows, Yolanda Fellows, and Erna Corbeil, and trained by Ron Coyne Jr. She’s now won four times from 11 career starts, with earnings of $64,836. Three of those wins have come at Freehold.
“Everything went my way; we had a lot of racing luck,” said Dan Dube. “But she was good last week, and I knew she wasn’t supposed to be a longshot like that (today); she fit in with them. Everything went good. She still has the ear plugs in and she’s going to get better and better.”
Live racing at Freehold resumes on Friday (May 7), starting at about 12:30 p.m.
