Kentuckiana Lodge filly Black Pearl showed she is right on track for her big race targets in the spring with an explosive debut victory at Ashburton.
The Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained two-year-old left her rivals in her dust when cruising away to a massive five and a half length maiden win with Carter Dalgety in the sulky.
After unleashing a brilliant 26.4sec last 400m, the Dalgety camp summed the Black Pearl up as a typical Bettor’s Delight.
“We have always held her in really high regard, but she can be pretty relaxed in her work at home,” Carter said.
“Like a lot of the Bettor’s Delights, nothing much fazes her, but we got to see her real ability on race day.”
“It was a very smart performance and to be fair she just jogged it up the straight.”
“She got off the gate nicely, relaxed really nice in front and clicked it up when she needed to.”
“You couldn’t really ask for a better debut performance, really.”
Black Pearl was selected by Cran at the National Yearling Sales and syndicated among a great group of Kentuckiana Lodge owners.
Among them is North America’s leading trainer Ron Burke, his major stable clients Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura who each also part-own leading sire Sweet Lou.
The Americans race Black Pearl with Phil and Margaret Creighton, Bernard Smith, David Schollum, Ken Cummings and Margaret Meates.
The ownership group are now on a one-way path towards New Zealand’s best two-year-old fillies races.
Black Pearl will now be freshened before being aimed at the upcoming Sires Stakes Series and the Harness Million.
“We think she is definitely up to competing with the better fillies,” Carter said.
“She will have a freshen up now and we will get her ready for a Sires Stakes heat.”
Black Pearl has come along at the perfect time for Larry Karr.
Late last week, Karr sold another of his fillies at Kentuckiana Lodge in Mitsi Gaynor.
The three-year-old heads to Australia after winning three races and placing nine times in her career at Kentuckiana Lodge.
