Red Star Hottie remained red hot on Saturday night at Fraser Downs with another win in the featured $12,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace over a sloppy track
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Sent postward as the even-money favourite, Red Star Hottie and driver David McKellar raced to the opening quarter in :27.2 with Im Bossy (Ed Hensley) parked out in second. As the field rolled past the grandstand, Im Bossy cleared the lead but Red Star Hottie quickly brushed up for the re-take and tripped the half-mile marker in :56.2.
The four-year-old daughter of As Promised-Whitehorse Fever extended her lead to two and half lengths as rolled to three-quarters in 1:24.3. She then held off a quick-closing Midnight Diva (Gord Abbott) by a head for the 1:54.3 victory. Furious Five (Serge Mass) rounded out the top three.
Red Star Hottie scored her 13th lifetime victory and increased her bankroll to $165,150 for trainer Robert Merschbeck and owner Robert Murphy of Surrey, B.C. She has recorded three wins and one second in four starts at the Open level since the start of the winter meet.
Ironically, favourite Whatafinale added some adverse action to the evening’s final race of the night. The six-year-old son of Incredible Finale-Star Table, who was racing in second made a break in the stretch and trainer/driver Serge Masse was unseated as his race bike collapsed. Both horse and driver avoided injury in the incident.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.