Dewey Captures Three-Heat Kentucky Futurity
At The Red Mile Track in Lexington, Trotter Is First to $3M Mark
Oct 14, 2008
It was no easy trip to a three-heat title in the Kentucky Futurity, but Deweycheatumnhowe, this year's top three-year-old trotter, got the job done in the trio of races by winning the first heat over Clerk Magistrate in a squeaker, then bowing to Celebrity Secret in the second, and bouncing back to catch that same rival in the third round.
Dewey Gets Two-Year Earnings Title
In winning the Futurity on October 4, Dewey laid claim to $3,085,178 in career (two-year) earnings, a mark that surpassed the total banked by Donato Hanover in 2006 and 2007.
The Futurity, held every year at Lexington, Kentucky's The Red Mile, harness's second oldest track, is the third jewel of trotting's Triple Crown. Dewey won the first jewel, the Hambletonian, in August. Napoleon won this season's Yonkers Trot, the second race in the series.
Schnittker Says Two Heats Too Many
Ray Schnittker, Dewey's trainer-driver, was quoted in The Horseman and Fair World magazine (October 8, 2008, pages 27-29) as declaring, "..It's (multiple one-day heats) BS. Can you imagine telling Secretariat he had to go two heats in the Kentucky Derby?...Next year if I'm in (the Kentucky Futurity), I think I'll just go the first heat. This is just too tough on a horse."
Owner Agrees Multiple Heats Are Tough
"Heat racing has been the ruination of a lot of top horses," agreed Alan Leavitt, president of Walnut Hall Ltd., which owns half of Deweycheatumnhowe. The colt's owners said they were "happy that he (Dewey) was sitting second than on the lead in the race-off".
In the second heat, Dewey led in the lane, but was caught by Celebrity Secret and Crazed as he tired.
That's Why He's Dewey
The spectacular foal of Trolley Square, who died after giving him life, has grown to world acclaim in harness racing with his earnings record and a 13-heat card of 11 wins, one second and one third.
The son of Muscles Yankee earned the third place finish at the Futurity when he gave way in the stretch after a huge effort in the day's first heat that pushed him a head beyond the charging Clerk Magistrate, driven by Trevor Ritchie. In the second heat, the world's top driver, John Campbell, came off a quick lead with Celebrity Secret and got his charge to the wire ahead of Crazed
Dewey lost a heat elim to Crazed earlier in the year at the Canadian Trotting Classic at Mohawk in Ontario. The Futurity represented the first time Dewey had to face mutlple heats in a one-day schedule.
Campbell has won six Kentucky Futurity titles. "...(Dewey) just trotted a little more (than Celebrity Secret)," Campbell remarked. "But that's why he's Deweycheatumnhowe."
Two Heats, Three Heats, No Problem
Celebrity Secret trainer Staffan Lind said he had no doubt that his charge could trot with the best. "He just basically doesn't get tired," Lind observed, claiming he had no problem with racing more that one, or even three heats.
A Yankee Glide--Aimee's Promise, by American Winner colt, Celebrity Secret got his winning heat in 1:52.3, matching Dewey's first heat time. The final went in 1:59.3, while Celebrity Secret boosted his bankroll past $2 million.
