Safe From Terror captured the $20,000 Mares Open Pace at Miami Valley Raceway on Friday night, surpassing the half-million dollar earnings mark with the 1:53 score.

Driver Chris Page was content to get away fourth in the ten-horse field with the favoured four-year-old daughter of Western Terror. Inching closer at each call, Safe From Terror moved up to third at the half, second at the three quarters and finally collared pacesetters Lease Ness Monster and Aqua Artist at the head of the stretch. Page completed the successful journey by holding off closers Native Dream (John DeLong) and Cast No Shadow (Tyler Smith) by a length and a half at the wire.

Jim Arledge Jr. now trains the winner, who was making her second start at Miami Valley since her owner Winchester Baye Acres shipped her back north from Pompano Park a month ago.

The feature race was the closing leg of the 50-cent Lucky Pick 5 as the exotic wager made its debut in the USTA’s Strategic Wagering program with a $10,000 guaranteed pool. The experiment was a rousing success as over $13,700 in new wagers was added to the $4000 carryover.

After deducting the 12% industry-low takeout from the new bets, a total of over $16,000 was divided by eleven winners who each received $1462.05 for their half-dollar wagers.

Winners in the Lucky Pick 5 were Western Empress (Jeremy Smith, $4.00 to win), Rehab Mountain (Chris Page, $7.20), Alibi Seelster (Randy Tharps, $18.60), A Little Starstruk (John DeLong, $10,000) and Safe From Terror (Chris Page, $4.60).

(Miami Valley Raceway)