Pacers Taffy Town and Highland Hellion each won marathon 1-1/4 mile races in their respective late closer series finales to highlight Wednesday afternoon action at Colonial Downs.
Taffy Town scored her third straight win in the $6,350 final of the U Gotta Win One Now Series while Highland Hellion went wire-to-wire in the $8,400 Horace Martin & Barbara Perry Memorial Pacing finale.
Driver Frank Milby sat fourth throughout with Taffy Town until mid-stretch, when he wore down and caught front-stepping Winonefordoug just before the wire. The eight-year-old Ideal Towne mare crossed one and three-quarter lengths ahead of fast-closing Iemma Machine Baby in 2:25.4. After a fourth place finish to start the fall meet, Taffy Towne swept all three legs of the late closer for trainer Joe C. Mapes.
Highland Hellion started out the Martin & Perry Memorial with a pair of fourth place finishes, but as soon as the race distance increased to over a mile in the third and fourth legs, the six-year-old Mach Three gelding never trailed at any point in the pair. On Wednesday, driver Chuck Perry guided Highland Hellion to fractions of :27.3, :55.1, 1:23.4 and 1:53.3 before crossing the wire in 2:23, two lengths ahead of Ricks Crossroads in the deep 10-horse field. The week prior, trainer Rex Watson’s pacer crossed in 2:23.3.
Colonial Downs presents a 10-race card Thursday at 1 p.m. The track’s annual “Shucktoberfest” cornhole tournament and trackside tailgate is this Saturday in conjunction with the regular race card.
(Colonial Downs)