Jazmin Arnold is really beginning to make a name for herself. The diminutive lady from Xenia, Ohio just keeps doing what she knows best, and that is driving winners, and recently in the Midwest region of the Billing Trotting Series.
On Sunday evening (Nov. 10), Arnold scored again when she reined Celebrity Pegasus to a romping six-length 1:55 triumph over Kelly Walker's Keystone Blade, in the $6,000 Billings Trot.
The victory was Arnold’s 22nd driving victory of the season. More than half of those wins came on the Ohio County Fair circuit, but she has been dominating her veteran Billings competitors at many pari-mutuel venues since gaining her full license.
Her victory on Sunday was her third consecutive – all with different Herman Hagerman-trained horses – at Northfield Park.
Her journey to victory on Sunday took an overland route. She hustled Celebrity Pegasus to the lead from the five hole, and, after wicked early half-mile fractions of :27.3 and 55.3, her trotter finally made the front. Once on top, Arnold kept the pedal to the metal and the seven-year-old son of Andover Hall led the competition by the third stanza in 1:24.4. Celebrity Pegasus went on to cruise through the stretch to record an easy victory.
After parking the winner in the early going, Walker's Keystone Blade hung on for second. Lavern Miller took home the show dough with Sea Fearher.
The winner, owned by Morgan Hagerman, returned a $4.80 mutuel.
(Billings Series)