Cindy Michelle (E L Titan) became the only two-leg winner in the Jim Derue Memorial Trot Series on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the John Stark Jr trained and driven filly continued her winning ways. The sophomore filly who scored in the $50,000 New York Sire Stakes Excelsior Final last month recorded her eleventh win of the season on Monday when she went coast-to-coast to prevail in leg two of the Derue Memorial in 1:58.2. The only winner of both legs will head into next Monday’s (October 25) Final as the one to beat after recording another decisive victory. Cindy Michelle is owned by Peter Barbato of Demarest, NJ and Sam Bova Racing LLC of Irving, NY.
Larry Stalbaum’s Creemore (Chapter Seven) avenged a leg one break when on Monday the three year old recorded a win in 1:58.3 to likely sure-up a spot in next week’s Final. Creemore’s victory was his first in five starts since coming to Saratoga last month.
The fastest of the leg two winners on the matinee card was Pass Key (Cantab Hall) who is owned, trained and driven by Jordan Derue, the son of the late Jim Derue for which the trotting series is named. Pass Key, who made a break in leg one, was confidently piloted by Derue as he quarter moved in the early going and never looked back stopping the timer in 1:57.4 to be the fastest of the leg two winners and likely secure his spot in the $30,000+ Final which will take place next week.
Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga and will feature a carryover of $3,025 in the Pick Five pool. The Pick Five begins in the matinee’s first race which is scheduled for noon.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Cheyanne Mandy
