Western Shooter New World Record
© The Meadowlands
Western Shooter ($2.60, $2.40, $2.10) surged to a two and three-quarter length victory over Million Dollar Cam ($18.20, $5.00), winning not only his last start of 2001 but likely post season honors as Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year. It was eighth lengths to Third Straight ($6.20) in third place.
Western Shooter, who rallied down the backstretch, passed Million Dollar Cam in the homestretch, improving his record to nine wins, a second and a third in 14 starts and $355,990 in earnings.
"I wanted to get out of the gate better, but there was too much speed inside and outside of me," said John Campbell, who drove the Breeders Crown winner. "He felt strong, I was just trying to avoid traffic and get a run at the end of the stretch. When I asked him, he responded. He does go to the wire very well. He never gives up. He's tied the world record and that says a lot. He's ended up his two-year-old campaign at the top of his game."
Western Shooter, a $205,000 yearling, used his explosive speed, including a last quarter in :27 seconds, to gain the victory for the partnership of the Robert McIntosh Stables of Windsor, Ontario; CSX Stables (Mike Keith, Ken Carpenter and John Strock) of Liberty Center, Ohio and Mike Kohler of Sterling Heights, Michigan.
"It wasn't a perfect two-hole trip," said trainer Bob McIntosh. "He had to overcome road trouble. He's one of the greatest two-year-olds I've ever trained. He was a little gapped out there. I was a little concerned, and he got a bit of a body check off the turn. But in the stretch, when it turned into a gunfight, he was the best. He'll get a rest now until the spring."
Worldly Beauty wins Three Diamonds
In the $350,000 Three Diamonds for two-year-old pacing fillies, Worldly Beauty ($2.80, $2.60, $2.20) was out of this world, winning by three and three quarter lengths in a track record equaling time of 1:522.
The Artsplace filly, driven by Luc Ouellette and trained by Patrick Lachance, matched the two-year-old pacing filly mark set by Clover Hanover when she won the 1997 Sweetheart Pace.
Always An Art ($5.80, $3.40) was third across the wire but was placed second when the judges ruled that Roses For Sammie ($2.80) came out and interfered with her in the stretch.
