After a slew of close finishes in the $42,000 Mares Open Pace, Pink Kangaroo finally picked up her first win at the level when she took Friday’s feature at Mohawk Racetrack.

Starting from Post 1, driver Steve Condren settled Pink Kangaroo into third as they tracked Marnie Hall (Luc Ouellette) and Mind Boggling (Jody Jamieson) through a quarter in :27.2. Mind Boggling made a quarter-pole move and Pink Kangaroo followed suit, taking command past the three-eighths and setting an intermission in :55.2.

Marnie Hall committed to the outside in the final turn, making her second move, as Pink Kangaroo hopped to the three-quarters in 1:24. The four-year-old Cams Card Shark mare drifted off the rail in the stretch, but Pink Kangaroo stayed game for Condren to score by a length in 1:50.4 – a new lifetime best.

Blissful Smile (Jack Moiseyev) closed up the rail to get second while Mind Boggling stayed for third.

Brian Hodgson trains Pink Kangaroo for owner John Bell. In 20 starts this season, she is 5-4-1 with earnings of $120,370. Now a 17-time winner in her career, she boasts a bankroll of $247,645.

To view Mohawk’s results, click here.