Rodeo Drive Deo was crowned this year's Jugette champion for 3-year-old pacing fillies at the Delaware (Ohio) County Fairgrounds after winning the Grade 1 $280,000 final on Wednesday in 1:50 1/5.
The two eliminations were won by Rodeo Drive Deo (David Miller) from third-over in 1:51 and Odds On Chesapeake (Dexter Dunn) with a brush-and-crush 1:49 3/5 mile. The remainder of the finalists were Odds On Hialeah, Vel Cinderella, Skywalker Sea, Rose, Time Of The Season and Papi Grad. Trainer Ron Burke sent Rodeo Drive Deo and Rose to the final while Virgil Morgan Jr. also had a pair in Odds On Chesapeake and Odds On Hialeah.
Odds On Chesapeake and Dunn fired out from post one in the final and got to the point from Rodeo Drive Deo with little dispute. The quarter was a moderate 28 1/5 and Miller swung Rodeo Drive Deo to the outside as Odds On Chesapeake approached the 56 4/5 half-mile marker. The top two would throw down around the third turn and to the 1:23 1/5 three-quarters, but Rodeo Drive Deo put Odds On Chesapeake away on the last bend, then pulled away to tally by 4 1/2 lengths. Odds On Chesapeake held second from Rose (Yannick Gingras) with Odds On Hialeah (Luke Hanners) and Time Of The Season (Andy McCarthy) fourth and fifth, respectively.
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"I don't want to brag on her, but she gives me a lot of confidence," Miller said. "Ronnie said just get away in the two-hole and pull when you have to."
Burke trains Rodeo Drive Deo, a daughter of Captaintreacherous bred by Deo Volente Farms with Cool Cat Racing, for owners Bure Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Beasty LLC. and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. FL Rodeo Drive Deo has a summary of 10-9-3 from 26 starts, has earned $865,638 and paid $3.60 to win in the final as the 4-5 favorite.
"She was good. I knew all along," Burke remarked. "I said David, just don't get boxed in, just come to the outside. I'd rather go down swinging. He had all the faith in her and stuff. I thought he was the best horse today.
"She broke her tibia as a 2-year-old and we had to give her a good bit of time off. As we were training her back, we were like 'this filly is really special we think.' Last year, by the end the year, of we knew with her, Rose and Looksgoodinloulou we had three top fillies. It didn't start off the year like we'd hope, but they're finishing strong now and we've just got to wrap it up the last couple of races."