It was a dark and stormy night — the perfect setting for Storm Queen, as she blazed to the front and captured her second straight division in Wednesday’s Mary Wohlmuth
Memorial Trot at The Meadows. Shelby County took the other $15,000 second-leg split in the series for three- and four-year-old filly and mare trotters.
Heavy rains and hail hours earlier rendered the track sloppy, but they couldn’t slow Storm Queen and Dick Stillings, who scored wire-to-wire in 2:01.4. Ladys Night trotted evenly for second, with Sierras Jessie third.
Dane Snyder trains Storm Queen, a four-year-old daughter of Tsunami Ranger-Come Up Here, who now boasts three straight wins, for Ready & Able Stable.
Shelby County idled outside for much of the first quarter before Dave Palone cut her loose. She swooped the field before the five-eighths and won handily in 2:00.2 for her initial victory in five 2011 starts. Lady Godiva shot the Lightning Lane for second, two lengths in arrears, while Marion Mistletoe finished third.
Greg Wright trains Shelby County, a four-year-old daughter of Chip Chip Hooray-Rowdy Somolli, for Ben Kenney.
In the $22,500 Preferred Handicap Trot, Bettis was parked three-wide to the quarter before making the front but still drew off for Aaron Merriman to triumph in 1:55.4, three and three-quarter lengths better than Speed Bomb. Action Broadway rallied for show.
David Wade trains Bettis, a six-year-old son of Sierra Kosmos-SJs Shad Roe who won for the sixth time in nine 2011 starts, and owns with William F. Peel III and Gerald Brittingham.
(The Meadows)