Puff Mommy didn't find an issue in stepping up in class and registered a half-length victory over Youre Too Funny in the featured $7,400 Open I-II Pace for fillies and mares Wednesday night at Batavia Downs.
Puff Mommy ($8.00) had competed in the $15,000 optional claimers for the filly and mares the past two weeks where she had a win and second-place finish so she was ready to face better.
Real Joy (Ron Beback Jr.) sprinted to the lead and set the fractions of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:26.4. Youre Too Funny, who was first over, managed to drop in second at the three-quarter mark, putting Puff Mommy first over around the final turn. In the lane, Batavia Downs' leading driver Shawn McDonough and Puff Mommy effortlessly rolled past the leaders to take the victory in 1:55.4 over the fast track. Youre Too Funny (Kevin Cummings) dropped into the passing lane and finished second while Real Joy took the show spot.
The win was the eighth in 32 starts this year for Puff Mommy (Cambest-Ten Pound Puff), a six-year-old mare owned by Empowered Racing and trained by Carl Smith. The win moved her seasonal earnings to $47,808 and lifetime bankroll to $233,800.
Racing resumes on Friday night with a 12-race program set to get underway at 6:30 p.m. The card kicks off a big weekend of harness racing as Saturday night will feature Foiled Again, harness racing's top pacing money winner, who will battle in the $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace.
(Batavia Downs)