Maryland-breds Continue to Shine
While much of the attention among thoroughbred racing fans will soon shift to Maryland when Pimlico Race Course hosts the latest edition of the Preakness Stakes where Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will seek to add the middle jewel of the Triple Crown for three-year-olds to his resume, several Maryland-bred standardbreds maintained their winning ways at a pair of ovals on Monday afternoon.
At Miami Valley Raceway in Ohio, defending champion aged pacing mare Lady Shadow, the 2016 Maryland-bred harness horse of the year, kicked off her campaign by taking the $100,000 Sam "Chip" Noble Memorial by just over a length as the 3-5 favorite in 1:50.3. A six -year-old daughter of Shadow Play trained by Ronald Adams and piloted on the afternoon by Yannick Gingras, Lady Shadow gained command in a 27-second opener and carved out honest splits of 54.3 and 1:22.1 and held safe Divas Image late to score in track record fashion.
Later on the card, Bernadette (Gingras) gave Adams a lucrative training double when she captured the $20,000 Filly-Mare Open in 1:52. A four-year-old Big Jim mare, Bernadette gained command in a 27.3 opener, got a breather by the half in 56.3 and completed a strong back half to score in 1:52.
Later that evening at Harrington Raceway in Delaware, Maryland-bred Framed Art (Art Stafford, Jr.) kicked off the card by taking a non-winners of $5501 last five starts class in 1:54. One race later it was Classiessistar who maintained his current sharp form by overcoming a first over bid to edge People Are Crazy and Getitoffyourchest in a three-horse photo in 1:53.2.
Then several races later, Wakizashi Hanover (Allan Davis) rallied from last early when he benefited from an early gallop by favored Poisonous and also unleashed a 26.2 kicker to capture he $17,500 Open Handicap in 1:53.3 for trainer Jim King, Jr. Wakizashi Hanover found the going a little too tough in the George Morton Levy Memorial Series at Yonkers Raceway in March and April, but he emerged with a determined score in his Harrington debut on Monday.
At Miami Valley Raceway in Ohio, defending champion aged pacing mare Lady Shadow, the 2016 Maryland-bred harness horse of the year, kicked off her campaign by taking the $100,000 Sam "Chip" Noble Memorial by just over a length as the 3-5 favorite in 1:50.3. A six -year-old daughter of Shadow Play trained by Ronald Adams and piloted on the afternoon by Yannick Gingras, Lady Shadow gained command in a 27-second opener and carved out honest splits of 54.3 and 1:22.1 and held safe Divas Image late to score in track record fashion.
Later on the card, Bernadette (Gingras) gave Adams a lucrative training double when she captured the $20,000 Filly-Mare Open in 1:52. A four-year-old Big Jim mare, Bernadette gained command in a 27.3 opener, got a breather by the half in 56.3 and completed a strong back half to score in 1:52.
Later that evening at Harrington Raceway in Delaware, Maryland-bred Framed Art (Art Stafford, Jr.) kicked off the card by taking a non-winners of $5501 last five starts class in 1:54. One race later it was Classiessistar who maintained his current sharp form by overcoming a first over bid to edge People Are Crazy and Getitoffyourchest in a three-horse photo in 1:53.2.
Then several races later, Wakizashi Hanover (Allan Davis) rallied from last early when he benefited from an early gallop by favored Poisonous and also unleashed a 26.2 kicker to capture he $17,500 Open Handicap in 1:53.3 for trainer Jim King, Jr. Wakizashi Hanover found the going a little too tough in the George Morton Levy Memorial Series at Yonkers Raceway in March and April, but he emerged with a determined score in his Harrington debut on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
