Taken out of contention due to a flat tire last week, Ladies From Hell rebounded on Friday, May 16 and was a pumped up winner in this week's $11,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap Pace at The Raceway at Western Fair District.

Firing to the front from the middle of the gate, 2-1 favourite Ladies From Hell and driver Garrett Rooney set fractions of :28.2, :58.1 and 1:26.4 with defending Mares Preferred champion Charmbo Stormy and Austin Sorrie challenging first-over. Rooney urged Ladies From Hell clear of that rival through the final turn and then held off the late-charging pocket pursuer, Sport Duchess with Daryl Thiessen, by half a length in 1:55.4. Saulsbrook Olympia, driven by J Harris, edged out Charmbo Stormy in a show photo. 

An 11-time winner last year, Western Fair's reigning Aged Pacing Mare of the Year is up to six wins in 13 starts so far in her 11-year-old campaign for local trainer Michael Sumner, who co-owns with his daughter Shae. The Classic Card Shark-Jennys Place mare now boasts 52 victories lifetime and earnings totalling $338,941. She paid $6.10 to win.

The first Prospect Series events of the season were held on Friday night for three-year-old pacers with Lydia Go (Austin Sorrie) winning the $8,000 filly division in a new lifetime mark of 1:58.2 for trainer Joseph MacIsaac and the other two divisions for colts and geldings going to the Garry Merner-trained Zander (Garrett Rooney) in 1:56.3 and Peloton Seelster (Jason Ryan) in a career-best 1:57.1 for the Ben Hollingsworth stable.

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

(Standardbred Canada)