JK She’salady remains unbeaten with stakes record in Crown

by Ellen Harvey

Make that an even dozen in as many tries for JK She’salady as she and driver Tim Tetrick won the $500,000 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. She covered the mile in 1:50.2, a track and stakes record.

JK She’salady is trained by Nancy Johansson and owned by 3 Brothers Stables of New York. It was the first winner for 33-year-old Johansson, who is the daughter of Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter. The homebred daughter of Art Major-Presidential Lady is undefeated and a major contender for Horse of the Year honors. She would be the first 2-year-old pacing filly accorded that honor.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

JK She’salady remained unbeaten, winning the Breeders Crown for 2-year-old filly pacers in 1:50.2.

Bettor Be Steppin (Corey Callahan) was on the lead to the first quarter-mile mark in :26.3, before Tetrick left the rail in fourth place with JK She’salady, who rushed to the top in just a few strides.

She led the field to the :54.4 half, with Bettor Be Steppin at her back all the way to the 1:22.4 three-quarters. By then, Sassa Hanover and Yannick Gingras were up to challenge and pressured JK She’salady around the final turn and into the lane.

Tetrick kept JK She’salady to her task and went straight to the finish line by 1-3/4 lengths in front of second place finisher Sassa Hanover and Bettor Be Steppin in third.

“I’m very honored to get to drive her,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick. “I lucked into it. Yannick (Gingras) didn’t take her and they asked me to drive her and I was more than happy to do that. I protected myself in the first turn and the way it was shaking out, I moved her to the front and she did the rest. Sassa came at her, run at her hard enough, and my mare just put her away and raced really strong all the way to the wire. It’s always great, but to drive a great filly like this is a great honor.”

“I like the trotters,” said Johansson. “But I actually think the pacers are really exciting. I like the speed and it’s something a little bit different. Around February I asked my dad (Jimmy Takter) if he had any good 2-year-old pacing fillies and I told him he could leave them at home because I had the best one. So I guess I was right. I knew she was going to be good, but I didn’t really know she was going to be this good. That is always a pleasant surprise. She’s just super special and I’m just blessed to have her in my barn.”

Johansson said the undefeated filly is off the track for the year.

“She’s going to go for a vacation in North Carolina,” she said. “She deserves a little better weather, so she’s going to go down there and get six weeks off. Then she’ll start back for her 3-year-old season. It feels great.”