LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -Deweycheatumnhowe took the third jewel of trotting's triple crown Saturday with a victory in the $684,000 Kentucky Futurity at the Red Mile.

Advertisement

It was the 20th time in the race's 116-year history that a race-off was needed to settle the race for 3-year-old trotters. Deweycheatumnhowe, the Hambletonian champ, beat out Celebrity Secret in the third heat.

The race, a test of speed and endurance, requires a horse to win two heats in a single afternoon to be named the winner of the Futurity. In the first heat, Deweycheatumnhowe came flying on the far outside of the track to win by a nose over Clerk Magistrate.

When the field returned for the second heat, Dewey could have won the Futurity with one more victory, but was overcome in the stretch by the race winner Celebrity Secret, driven by John Campbell. Crazed was second and Deweycheatumnhowe was third along the rail.

Owned by his trainer/driver Ray Schnittker, along with Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo, and the Deweycheatumnhowe Stable, Dewey and Schnittker sat behind the early leader Celebrity Secret. Dewey pulled off the rail at the top of the stretch and the two raced side-by-side until the final strides, until Dewey just got up for the win.

The victory was the 21st in 23 lifetime starts for Deweycheatumnhowe. He has more than $3 million in lifetime earnings.