The track’s defending Female Pacer of the Year So Nice won the $13,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the first time this season on Friday night (June 16).

The Amber Buter-trained distaffer recorded 11 victories in 2016, several of which came in the local Fillies and Mares Open. After her award-winning ’16 campaign, So Nice got off to a bit of a slow start this year before turning things around in late April.

On Friday, Stephane Bouchard put the seven-year-old Ponder mare on the front end and after enduring a first quarter in 27 seconds flat, fought gamely while tested in the final quarter. A two-pronged challenge came for So Nice in the stretch as pocket-sitter Her Own Land (Mark Beckwith) closed up the inside while the race’s 1-5 favourite Godiva Seelster (Wally Hennessey) came charging hard from the back of the pack. So Nice won the three-horse photo while Godiva Seelster had to settle for second. Her Own Land earned the show spot in the $13,000 Open that went in 1:52.2 over a track labeled ‘good.’

So Nice paid $11.60 to win and started an exacta with Godiva Seelster second that returned $19.80.

She is owned by Gene Oldford Farms LLC, Stephen Oldford and Tyler Buter.

Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga with a 6:45 p.m. first post.

(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)