NEVIS PEAK POPS IN GOLDSMITH MAID; TEMPTING FLAMES RESURGENT IN THREE DIAMONDS

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- November 14, 2026 -- Freshman fillies Nevis Peak and Tempting Flames found vindication from Breeders Crown defeats in their respective Fall Final Four finals on Saturday night (Nov. 14) at The Meadowlands.



Regally bred Nevis Peak procured a pocket trip and pounced to snag the $386,830 Grade 1 Goldsmith Maid in a 1:53.1 mile.

Leaving from post 7, driver Yannick Gingras sent Nevis Peak towards the top with 115-1 shot Rio De Janeiro launching from the outermost draw towards the lead. Gingras looped around Rio De Janeiro after a :28 first quarter and then yielded command in the backstretch once favorite Kountry Plunge tipped out of third to brush forward.

Kountry Plunge planted onto the point passing a :56.3 half and strolled through the last turn to three-quarters in 1:24.4 as Two Day Hangover carried stablemates Birr Castle and Athena’s Girl up the rim. Two Day Hangover retreated rounding for home, giving Nevis Peak clearance to swing outside for an attack. Nevis Peak overhauled Kountry Plunge in the lane for a 2-1/4-length win while Kindergarten champ HL Kapara rallied widest down the track for third and Birr Castle closed for fourth.

“She started out the year so awesome I was actually looking forward to the Hambletonian next year,” co-owner Larry Karr said in the winner’s circle. “She hit a few speed bumps along the way and bled a little bit, but they took their time with her getting her back. She raced great in the Mohawk Million, was unbelievable in the Breeders Crown and I’m so happy she got a marquee win tonight.”

Nevis Peak, a daughter of Walner out of 2020 Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill, competes for owners Burke Racing Stable, Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant and Larry Karr. Burke trains the winner of three races from nine starts with $507,124 in the bank. She paid $8.40 to win.

Odds-on favorite Tempting Flames recovered from a harsh shuffle as the tempo collapsed but found clearance to spring back and emerge a 1:53.1 winner in the $300,000 Grade 1 Three Diamonds.

Driver Jason Bartlett hustled Tempting Flames forward to clear control and parked 96-1 challenger Too Pink To Pass heading for a :27.1 first quarter. Second-over Cleveland Darby then looped three wide and crossed over to lead while maintaining speed to a :54.3 half. Cleveland Darby began to waver heading for the last turn, at which point Holy launched from a second-over seat to sweep by tiring rivals. Tempting Flames got bumped as Cleveland Darby backed out of contention, but Bartlett found a seam around as Holy clocked three-quarters in 1:24. Holy labored in the stretch on an open-length lead that diminished once Tempting Flames split rivals and laid aim on the leader late.

Tempting Flames zipped by at the inside in the final sixteenth and clinched a 1-1/2-length win over Holy and closing JK Alwaysbpositive, both of whom finished second in a dead heat. Loyal To The End took fourth.

“We got out of the gate really too quick,” Jason Bartlett said after the race. “I really wanted to follow Yannick’s horse, but obviously something went wrong in the last turn so we got ourselves in a really, really bad spot. It’s amazing she got stopped like that and was able to pick it back up and win the race. All credit to her.”

Michael Hitchcock trains Tempting Flames for owner William Hartt. Hitchcock, based in Ohio and a native of Maine, notched his first Meadowlands victory with the win by his Catch The Fire-Hotshot Temptress filly. Winning her sixth race from 11 starts, Tempting Flames has now banked $472,012.

“Mike—we grew up together in Maine racing at the fairs, Bangor, Scarborough,” Bartlett also said. “To share this moment with him, with Billy [Hartt]—I’m sure he’s watching and will critique that drive pretty good. I got to thank him and Mike.”

“To get a win here is pretty cool,” Mike Hitchcock said. “Training her down, she’s been just perfect. She’s been just a dream to have in the barn and she was great through the summer. We bought her last fall and it’s been a great ride with her so far. She’s very manageable, and to overcome that [trip] is pretty amazing.”

Tempting Flames paid $3.40 to win.