Things didn’t start out very well for pacing mare Stayoutofmyaffair when she first joined forces with owner/trainer Patrick Shepherd last fall, but she’s really turned things around since those minor bumps in the road.
Claimed for $4,000 plus allowances from Hiawatha Horse Park on September 13, 2012, Stayoutofmyaffair finished fifth, eighth and seventh in her first three assignments following the acquisition. Not exactly performances worth writing home about. But since those unproductive trips she’s managed to assemble a 6-3-4 record from 15 starts including Tuesday’s triumph in the $10,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.
With J.R. Plante at the helm, the seven-year-old daughter of Astreos-Emersons Affair tucked into an early four-hole while Hustleonhome shot to the lead and supplied the field with an opening quarter clocked in :27.4. Plante had the odds-on favourite on the move in the second quarter, and she was a little more than a length away from Hustleonhome who hit the half in a :58-second clip.
Stayoutofmyaffair was in the process of clearing to the lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:26.4, and by the time she reached the top of the lane she was 2-1/2 lengths ahead of her closest pursuer. She only needed a final frame of :31.1 to seal the deal by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:58 over a track which was rated ‘good’ with a three-second allowance. Driving Miss Deo rallied late to grab the runner-up award, with Hustleonhome fading late and settling for third.
Stayoutofmyaffair has put together a 2-0-1 record from three tries to start the 2013 season after going 12-9-7 from last year’s 49 assignments. The 19-time winner upped her overall cash stash to $97,328 with the victory.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – The Raceway at the Western Fair District.