CAVIART BELLE DAZZLES IN KINDERGARTEN CLASSIC; LOU VUITTON GUTS WIN AGAINST BOYS

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Caviart Belle rebounded when winning in the $205,900 Crawford Farms Kindergarten Classic Final for 2-year-old pacing fillies as the 6-5 favorite with a 1:49.4 blast from off the speed on Saturday night (Nov. 4) at The Meadowlands.

A steady clip bubbled as Canigetalouploup steamed to the lead in a :26.3 first quarter and charged up the backside to a :54 half with Sarasota Hanover in the pocket. With action brewing two wide from midfield, Sarasota Hanover swung out of the pocket to take the lead and attempted to slip clear of her foes as she strode by three-quarters in 1:22.

Spinning off the final turn, Caviart Belle fanned to the center of the track from third over and began chugging after Sarasota Hanover. Caviart Belle collared Sarasota Hanover with ease in the final eighth while also holding back Miraculous Deo’s charge through a seam at the inside to win by two lengths at the beam. Miraculous Deo secured second from Sarasota Hanover with Chiapanecas taking fourth.

“She’s been struggling with a low white blood [cell] count,” trainer Nancy Takter said of Caviart Belle, who sparkled earlier this season in Canada with a 1:50.1 win in an Eternal Camnation division before being foiled at odds of 3-2 in the She’s A Great Lady final in September. “It’s been difficult to get her healthy again, but she was slowly getting better and I think just coming back to New Jersey, getting back to the field and kind of being a horse again has really turned her around.”

Winning her sixth race from 12 starts, Caviart Belle has now banked $280,432 for owner Caviart Farms. The daughter of Captaintreacherous paid $4.40 to win.

Lou Vuitton, the 2-1 second choice, powered first over and persisted through a stretch battle to hold firm on the point to the finish of a 1:51.1 mile to win the $179,200 Crawford Farms Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Forging forward through a :27.4 first quarter, Lou Vuitton pocketed early leader Total Stranger to land on the point before yielding control to 3-2 favorite Courtship. Courtship took the field by the half in :55.2 and strolled through the final turn to clock three-quarters in 1:23.2 while Lou Vuitton began his attack.

Courtship clung to a shrinking lead motoring down the straightaway as Lou Vuitton pressed closer and closer to the outside. Lou Vuitton lunged to the lead in the final eighth and survived a two-pronged battle to the finish by a head with Courtship holding second to the inside. Total Stranger swung wide to join the fight but just missed in third and Fasnacht Hanover checked in fourth.

“Matty [Kakaley and Courtship] was the horse I thought I had to follow and it worked out good,” winning driver David Miller said. “As soon as I moved him, he started chugging forward and didn’t stop until he got his head in front. All three of us were charging towards the wire there and I was doing all I could to keep mine going. He’s turned into a really nice colt, and when I got the chance to drive him again I was glad to get it.”

Ron Burke trains Lou Vuitton, a colt by Sweet Lou who competes for owners Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, J&T Silva-Purnel&Libby and Larry Karr. Lou Vuitton has now won four races from 13 starts and accrued $180,779 in earnings. He paid $6 to win.

A LITTLE MORE: The prolific pair were up to their usual tricks as Yannick Gingras led the driver colony with four winners while Ron Burke topped the trainers with a three-bagger. … A double carryover in the 20-cent Pick-8 led to a total pool of over $8,600. Two shrewd handicappers had winning tickets that returned $3,975. … A Pick-6 carryover of just under $4,000 led to a total pool of $22,084. After a sequence where no winning horse went off at odds longer than 3-1, the return on winning tickets was $445.72. … All-source handle totaled $3,075,117 on the 14-race card. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

PHOTO: Caviart Belle with Yannick Gingras and Lou Vuitton with David Miller winning their respective finals of the Kindergarten Classic (Photo Credit: Lisa Photo).