What a difference a week makes. Former Ontario campaigner St Lads Zena ($18.60) was overlooked by the betting public in Wednesday evening's $10,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway, but she rewarded her faithful backers by rallying for a half-length victory over a stunned Heavenly Place in a seasonal-best clocking of 1:56.3.
Last week at the same level, St Lads Zena scored from the rail and went wire-to-wire, returning $5 with a nose victory. But Wednesday night, the reigning 'queen' started from the five post and had lukewarm backing.
The favoured Fiftyonefifty, as expected, set sail from the rail and posted fractions of :29.2, :59.1 and 1:27.3. But the step up in class proved to be too much and Fiftyonefifty (Kevin Cummings) called it a night with a quarter-mile to go. Heavenly Place was next up and pounced to the top. She looked home free down the stretch, but someone forgot to tell St Lads Zena.
Under the urging of driver Ron Beback Jr., St Lads Zena zoomed through the passing lane and blasted past the shocked Heavenly Place (David McNeight III), who could do nothing but watch as they hit the wire. Delightful Syd (John Cummings Jr.) took the show position.
The victory was the second straight in the Fillies and Mares Open Pace for St Lads Zena, now a winner three times in 11 appearances in 2014. Owned by Keith Pinkowski and trained by Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr., the five-year-old mare (Apaches Fame-Natural Ingredient) has now amassed $23,424 in earnings this year and $93,429 lifetime.
Racing will continue on Friday night at Buffalo Raceway with a 13-race card set for 6:40 p.m.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)