After just holding sway against Preferred 3 company last week, Fluff Me Up ($9.20) narrowly fought off a late-lunging Seeyou Men to take Wednesday evening’s (Jan. 31) $11,500 Preferred 2 trotting event at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Bob McClure had Fluff Me Up on go right from the outset, sending the seven-year-old ABC Garland gelding immediately to the front and clearing Hldontghttoyurdrms (Doug McNair) just upon reaching the first turn. Fluff Me Up controlled a sensible pace through fractions of :29.3 and :59.2 before facing a first-over push from Seeyou Men (Robert Shepherd) with over a quarter mile remaining. Seeyou Men forced a :29.1 third quarter and kept pressing to the end, but Fluff Me Up was undeterred, reaching for a narrow 1:58.4 victory over good going while driven out. Seeyou Men took second for his fourth straight start at the Preferred 2 class, while Hldontghttoyurdrms stayed on from the pocket for third.
The Pod Stable, LLC of Ohio owns Fluff Me Up, whose back-to-back wins increase his career tally to 27.
The featured win capped a hat trick for trainer Mike Weller. He also sent On Cruise Control ($3.10, McClure, 1:58) and Overcomebyvictory ($6.60, Shepherd, 1:58.2) to the winner’s enclosure.
In the sub-featured $8,500 Preferred 3 trot, Windsun Hugo ($37.10) overcame a second-row start, mid-race traffic, and failing cover to best pacesetter Nebraska Jack by three-quarters of a length. Robert Shepherd drove the six-year-old Muscle Mass gelding for trainer Gerard Demers, and La Ferme Tag, Inc. of Québec.
To view Wednesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results – The Raceway at Western Fair District.