Thatll Be Franny cruised gate-to-wire to score her first win in the $12,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace and fastest ever at Western Fair Raceway on Wednesday

.

Driven by Nick Steward, the Kenneth Gowan trainee, a runner-up in the same class last week to Hi Maintenancechic, fired to command from the inside post position and raced past fractions of :28.3, :58.3, and 1:27.1 en route to a career-best 1:55.3 victory. Pathtodover (Doug Bowins) finished nearly three lengths behind in second off a three-hole trip while Jinglejanglejingle (Jason Brewer) edged by pocket-sitter Putnam Mackenzie (Trevor Henry) to show. Outside assignee and defending class champion Hi Maintenancechic (J. Bradley Harris) trailed the seven-horse field early on and was stacked four-high by the three-quarters pole, but only managed to beat one horse to the wire.

Thatll Be Franny has won half of her eight starts this year -- all of which at Western Fair -- while banking $23,735. She paid $3.40 to win as the bettors' choice.

The eight-year-old daughter of Thatll Be Me out of Little Franny, who now has eight wins to her name and $62,024 earned lifetime, is owned and bred by Audrey Crawford of Wallacetown, Ont.

To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Western Fair Raceway.