So Nice set the track record for aged pacing mares at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Friday night.
In the year’s final Fillies and Mares Open, the Amber Buter-trained pacer powered to the lead approaching the half-mile pole before drawing away to a dazzling win in 1:52. The time bests the previous mark of 1:52.1 shared by three different mares as the fastest for an aged mare in the 74-year history of Saratoga.
So Nice powered away from her rivals to win by eight lengths in the $18,000 Fillies and Mares Open with Mark Beckwith in the sulky. Longshot Jokes Jet (Phil Fluet) had a strong showing in her debut in the local feature finishing second while the favoured Super Soph (Frank Coppola Jr) had to settle for third.
So Nice returned $5.70 to win and led an exacta with Jokes Jet that came back $85. The triple, with the favourite third, paid $289 in the final feature for distaffers for the ’15 season.
The five-year-old Ponder mare is owned by Gene Oldford Farms LLC, Stephen Oldford and Tyler Buter.
Live racing continues on Saturday for the season’s closing night with first post time set for 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Raceway)