Mark It On Ice, who has been steadily moving up the ladder to the Open competition, won the $10,000 top pace in 1:58.1 over a sloppy track at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night
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Favourite Mark It On Ice ($5.80), leaving from the pylons in the field of eight and driven by reinsman John Cummings Jr., made every pole a winning one. The son of Shark St Partners out of the Western Hanover mare Imhappy N Heslucky carved out fractions of :29.1, :59 and 1:29, and a :29.1 last quarter-mile put him one and a half lengths ahead of second place finisher My Gift To You (Kevin Cummings) at the finish line. Cole Hard Cash (Dave McNeight III) came in third.
Mark It On Ice, who has won half of his 10 starts this year, is trained by Hoye Rickert for owners C. Hoye and Pauline Rickert of Fredonia, Pennsylvania. The $5,000 share of the winning purse put the five-year-old gelding's season bankroll at $21,495 and lifetime earnings at $81,031.
The meet's leading driver Shawn Gray had a grand slam on this rainy night, steering home winners Critic Vacation ($3.30), Fox Valley Primo ($3.90), Cam Patch ($2.60), and Little Gus ($4.70).
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)