YO TILLIE GOES TO 11, LIPSTICK PULLS UPSET IN NJ CLASSIC FILLY TROTS
Yo Tillie dug in through the stretch and overtook a game Champagne Problems in the final strides to extend her winning streak to 11 by capturing Friday’s $250,000 New Jersey Classic for 3-year-old female trotters by a neck in 1:50.2 at The Meadowlands. Walspea finished third and Conversano was fourth ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- September 5, 2025 -- Yo Tillie dug in through the stretch and overtook a game Champagne Problems in the final strides to extend her winning streak to 11 by capturing Friday’s $250,000 New Jersey Classic for 3-year-old female trotters by a neck in 1:50.2 at The Meadowlands. Walspea finished third and Conversano was fourth.
The winning time was a career best for Yo Tillie, who is 8-for-8 this season for trainer Andrew Harris after finishing her 2-year-old campaign with three consecutive victories for then owner-trainer-driver Verlin Yoder.
“I think she would exceed almost anybody’s expectations,” said Harris, who joined with Bill Pollock and Bruce Areman to buy Yo Tillie in mid-November. “You don’t ever expect a filly to go out there and do what she’s doing.
“She just does it, she just wants to win. When you get about 10 feet from the wire, she’s trying to put her nose out in front. That’s all class. You can’t teach that, you just have it, or you don’t.”
Yo Tillie and driver Todd McCarthy found themselves in third as Walspea, with Yannick Gingras in the sulky, led to the opening quarter in :26.3 while keeping Champagne Problems and driver Dexter Dunn a parked-out second until past that marker. Champagne Problems got the lead on her way to the half in :55.3, then faced a first-over challenge from Yo Tillie as they raced to three-quarters in 1:23.3.
Champagne Problems and Yo Tillie matched strides for much of the stretch drive, with Yo Tillie’s race-best :26.3 last quarter proving decisive at the wire.
“I know all these horses are getting better, and every horse is good right now,” Harris said. “I respect every horse. The second you don’t respect one of them, they’re going to come up and beat you. They’re all super athletes.
“That was the fastest mile of (Yo Tillie’s) life, so she’s not running out of steam, horses are getting better. Kudos to (trainer) Nancy Takter. She’s got Champagne Problems 10 times better than what she was, and she was really impressive tonight. It’s just kudos to the competition she’s racing, and I think it says more about Yo Tillie that she’s actually beating these guys when these guys are all trotting in (1):50.”
Yo Tillie has won 16 of 20 career races and increased her earnings to more than $700,000. The daughter of Tactical Landing-Consolidator was bred by GBW Breeding Farms and Black Creek Farm. She is the No. 3-ranked horse in North America in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.
“It’s unbelievable,” co-owner Pollock said. “This is what everybody dreams of, having a horse that wins pretty much week after week.”
Yo Tillie paid $2.20 as the 1-9 favorite.
Earlier in the card, Lipstick and driver David Miller surprised at odds of 44-1 in the $250,000 New Jersey Classic final for 2-year-old female trotters.
Lipstick, leaving from post two, was first to the quarter by a nose in :28. Days Away and driver Jason Bartlett were on top to the :57.3 half before New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Emmas Mystery CCL and Andy McCarthy led the field to three-quarters in 1:25.3. Lipstick was fourth on the pylons at the top of the stretch but found room to the outside and came home in :27.4 to win by a head over Southwind Chaska in 1:54. Days Away finished third and Emmas Mystery CCL was fourth.
It was Lipstick’s first victory in seven starts after four previous top-three finishes.
“I raced her a couple starts back, and she was real handy about getting out of there,” Miller said. “When the one (Days Away) wasn’t right up on the gate, I went around and got around her. It’s just kind of how the race unfolded. Jason retook and then Andy went to the lead. I was still pretty happy with my spot and at the head of the stretch I was able to slide over and as soon as I got her plugs out she took right off. She felt really strong at that point. I thought if I could get out that she would give them a good run and she sure did. It worked out for us.”
Trained by Anette Lorentzon, Lipstick is owned by Anvil And Lace Farm and Girlz Just Wanna Have Fun. The daughter of Tactical Landing-Non Stick was bred by Ake Svanstedt Inc. and Little E LLC. The $16,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase has earned more than $160,000 this season.
Lipstick paid $91.60 to win.
A LITTLE MORE: Bravo Angel S (Readly Express-Cilla Sisu) blasted away from the gate in :27.1 and led at every call in the $40,000 fifth leg of the Miss Versatility for open mare trotters. The 5-year-old, driven by Jason Bartlett and trained by Per Engblom, took down 1-5 favorite Elista Hanover, who finished third after a first-over trip. Bravo Angel S returned $20.20 to win as the 9-1 fourth choice in the betting after stopping the clock in a lifetime-best 1:51.2. … Bartlett was the top driver on the card with four winners while Bruce Saunders led the trainers with a pair of victories. … All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $2,565,612. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
