Harness racing's ghostly-coloured horses were out and about on this Halloween night competing in a pair of special races designated just for the grey and roan-coated competitors in the sport.
Pocono Downs featured a full-field of the striking standardbreds in a $10,000 Grey Ghost & Poltergeist Pace while Indiana Downs hosted its own $10,000 Grey Ghost Halloween Pacing Derby.
Competing in a field scratched down to eight, Lillywhites and driver Michael Kimelman kicked off Pocono Downs' Halloween card with a 1:52.4 victory over a track rated 'good', paying $5 to win as the 3-2 favourite.
Lillywhites advanced first over after getting away mid-pack and took over command from the leading Gotta Love Him (Brandon Simpson) down the stretch. Second over Philanthropist (Jim Morrill Jr.) chased her home to finish second while the pocket-sitting Panagler (Matt Kakaley) charged up the pylons to edge out Gotta Love Him in third.
The seven-year-old Artiscape-White Ruffles mare, who was a runner-up in Monticello Raceway's 2011 Little Grey Jug for grey and roan standardbreds, is trained and owned by Sara Kimelman of Wallkill, New York. She has won 17 times in her career while earning over $195,000 in purses.
Cadies Gotta Gun and driver Andy Shetler, also facing a field reduced to eight by scratches at Indiana Downs, inherited the 1:55.1 victory, her second win in the track's Grey Ghost Pace.
Cadies Gotta Gun, who won the 2008 edition of the Grey Ghost Pace at Indiana, was making her fourth start in the annual event. She finished fourth in 2009 and third in 2011.
Cadies Gotta Gun got away fourth and was shuffled back to seventh before moving fourth over while 2-1 favourite Floridaboy Clayton (Jason Dillander) led the way for most of the mile before fading in the stretch. Three-year-old filly Insatiable Desire (Tace Tetrick) took over the lead down the lane, but broke stride at the wire causing her to be taken down at the winner and set back to fourth. The hard-closing Cadies Gotta Gun, who finished just a nose behind, inherited the win while Kendal Delilah (Tyler Smith) and Ocean Pearl (Chip Noble) were bumped up to second and third after finishing less than one length behind.
Cadies Gotta Gun paid $9 to win as the 7-2 second choice.
The seven-year-old Gunthatwonthewest-Timeless Cadie mare is trained by Jacqueline Ricks for owner-breeder Richard Copp of Hillsdale, Michigan. The victory was her 26th lifetime and the lion's share of the purse lifted her bankroll to over $330,000.