It wasn’t a good night for the favourites in the second round of the Niagara Pacing Series, which featured a pair of $20,000 divisions on Monday
evening at Woodbine Racetrack.
A mild upset was pulled off by Mach Me Not in the opening split. The three-year-old daughter of Mach Three-Cam Boo Angel, who was sent off at odds of 3-1, was nowhere to be found in the early part of the mile, but she used a solid late kick to post the career-best clocking of 1:54.2 for the duo of driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Garry Merner. Queenies Alibi was next best and Shescominonstrong rounded out the top three.
Ed James of Aurora, ON owns the filly, who has put together a 4-4-5 record in 26 assignments this season. Despite being unraced as a rookie she has stashed away more than $62,000 in her career.
Driver Phil Hudon and trainer Alan Fair teamed up to pull off a 70-1 shocker in the second division with Notable Beauty, who rallied into a slowing pace and went home with a 1:53.4 victory.
The three-year-old daughter of Western Terror-Fans Bikini sat last for the opening half of the contest while Balasun laid down insane fractions of :26, :54.1 and 1:22.4. That free-wheeling pacesetter ran out of steam late and got picked off by Notable Beauty, who stepped home in :29.1 to post the 1:53.4 victory. Smashbox was a neck back in second and Balasun finished third. Thrillionaire, who was sent off as the 1-9 favourite, was a disappointing fourth.
Alan Fair of Binbrook and Elizabeth Fair of Ancaster, ON share ownership on the filly, who is now 7-for-19 this season after going 1-for-8 in her rookie season. The $10,000 payday bumped her lifetime earnings to $73,610.
The top ten money winners from the preliminary legs will have the chance to return for the $60,000 final of the Niagara Pacing Series on Monday, December 28.
To view Monday’s results, click here.