Don’t tell this older grey mare that she ain’t what she used to be! Brookletssuprsonic, a six-year-old roan daughter of Personal Power, shocked the Open distaff pacers at Hollywood Dayton Raceway on Friday night (October 14) capturing the $15,000 race in 1:52.4.
Dispatched at odds of 15-1 and facing Open company for the first time in her career, Brookletsuprsonic and driver Kyle Ater dropped into the two-hole early in the :27.2 opening quarter, then sat chilly in the pocket through middle panels of :56.3 and 1:24.2. First-over bids first by favoured Shes Shocking and then by last week’s winner Town Temptress faltered around the final turn resulting in an opportunity for the eventual winner to pounce from the pocket at the head of the stretch. Pertty Music (Dan Noble), who was locked in behind Brookletssuprsonic throughout the mile, finally also found room to race in mid-stretch to garner runner-up laurels, while pacesetter Albanian Era (Jeremy Smith) hung tough to complete the winning trifecta.
Although the winner now has $120,225 in lifetime earnings ($46,780 this season), she earned less than $100 per start in 19 2015 starts, failing to hit the board in any race last year.
Owner Kirk Nichols plucked Brookletssuprsonic from a $10,000 claiming race at Scioto Downs in July and entrusted her to his longtime trainer Dan Ater. Following five consecutive second and third-place finishes in $15,000 claimers and high condition races, she was “forced” into the Open where she was relegated to longshot status. But the combination of being in razor sharp form and the heads-up steer by Ater resulted in this old grey mare being more than she used to be...at least on this night.
Brookletssuprsonic paid $32.80 to win, while the exacta returned a robust $126.20. Successful 10-cent superfecta punters were rewarded with a $133.45 payoff.
(With files from Dayton)