Brittany Farms-bred Special Way 2,1:52 ($712,745), last year’s richest and fastest 2-year-old filly trotter and Dan Patch Champion, embarked on her journey to hopefully bigger and better things with a win in her first start of the year — the $60,000 (div.) New Jersey Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Trot last Saturday at the Meadowlands.

 

With trainer Ake Svanstedt in the bike as usual, she assumed control past the half and cruised home under no urging to score over eight rivals in 1:53.1, with a final quarter of :27.1. (Watch race)

 

The second leg of her NJSS division goes to post on May 20, with the $200,000 final slated for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 27. The New Jersey series lead to a well-planned summer stakes season for the champion filly that will likely include the Hambletonian Oaks, Elegantimage, Kentucky Filly Futurity and finally, the Breeders Crown.

 

Special Way, a daughter of the brilliant Walner and from the Muscle Hill mare Special Hill, was retained by her breeder Brittany Farms and partners Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld to race and eventually add to the farm’s broodmare band.

 

En route to her year-end Dan Patch Award she won seven of nine 2022 seasonal starts with victories in the Breeders Crown elim and $600,000 final, Bluegrass Stakes, and three Kentucky Sire Stakes legs and the $400,000 final.

 

Her 2022 race record of 1:52 made her the fastest of her gender and co-fastest overall, and her earnings of $697,475 was the most of any freshman filly trotter and second overall to the Mohawk Million-winning colt Oh Well.

 

You’ll find more trotters (and pacers!) with unlimited potential in the Brittany Farms yearling consignment to the 2023 Lexington Selected Sale, Oct. 2-6. The complete roster, along with pedigrees, is available here; the final list of sale yearlings will be available this summer.