Allbeastnobeauty (Kayne Kauffman) collared heavily favoured Checks On The Way (Trace Tetrick) in deep stretch Friday night (March 6) to capture the $25,000 Mares Open Pace at Miami Valley Raceway. Diamondtequilashot (Ricky Macomber Jr.) got a ground-saving trip to garner the show finish in the flashy 10-horse feature field.

Checks On The Way cut all the early fractions with Allbeastnobeauty, returning to the Open ranks after a triumph in the top condition class last week, sitting snug on her back until mid-stretch. Following fractions of :28.2, :56.3 and 1:24.2, the favourite faltered just slightly at the end of a :28 flat final quarter while Allbeastnobeauty pounced from the pocket full of pace in the final furlong.

Despite her recent win and drawing the rail, the Erik Jaeck Jr. trainee paid a healthy $32.60 to her faithful. Coupled with the odds-on favourite, the exacta paid $83. The 50-cent trifecta was worth $106.55. Letme Fly Low (Brett Miller) finished fourth and Always Giggling (John DeLong) fifth, triggering a 10-cent Buckeye High 5 payoff of $534.20.

A pair of final preliminary legs were contested in the Herb Coven Jr. Memorial Series for fillies and mares that were non-winners of four races or $40,000 on February 15.

The first $15,000 split went to EyespywithmylileyeN (DeLong), a repeat winner for owner Trent Stohler and trainer Alesha Binkley. Her 1:54 clocking bettered Dragonfly (Tetrick) and Spee Dee Shark (Macomber Jr.) and set the five-year-old daughter of Mach Three up as the likely favourite when the $25,000 final is held next Friday night.

Pace Baby Pace (Josh Sutton) was the upset winner of the second division despite an outside post position. The four-year-old Sweet Lou lass topped Hilary Barry N (DeLong) and Jazzie Babe (Trevor Smith) in 1:52.4. It was just the third career win for Pace Baby Pace, bred and still owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The name, of course, is a reference to Miami Valley ace handicapper Pacey (The Wizard) Mindlin’s signature saying.

The nine top money-earners in the Coven Jr. Memorial qualified for the lucrative final. They are, in order of series earnings: EyespyonmylileyeN, Hilary Barry N, Pace Baby Pace, Dragonfly, Jazzie Babe, Atoritotell, Spee Dee Shark, Heerz Hoosierhunny and Sweet Sue.

(Miami Valley Raceway)