Walkin On Sunshine kicked off her six-year-old campaign with a bang, winning the $30,137 Fillies and Mares Open 1 Handicap Pace in 1:52.1 with John De Long driving for trainer Walter Haynes Jr. on Thursday, March 5 at Harrah's Hoosier Park.
Leaving from post five, Walkin On Sunshine started quickly and battled along the outside to clear Yankee B Something (Marcus Miller) for the front before the quarter in :26.4. Goo Goo Won (Atlee Bender) pressed on from the outside, paced to the lead just after the first station, and remained the leader down the backstretch to the halfway point in :54.4.
Pacing towards the three-quarter mark in 1:24.4, Walkin On Sunshine tipped to the outside and pounced from the pocket to reclaim a narrow advantage over Goo Goo Won. Walkin on Sunshine extended her lead down the lane with a :27.2 final quarter and coasted to the wire 1-1/4 lengths clear. Dc Batgirl (Kyle Wilfong) closed on the outside, gaining three positions off cover to finish second, with Yankee B Something holding third.
Walkin On Sunshine, a daughter of Always A Virgin-Hatsoff Hanover, is owned by Maynard Miller, Daniel Lehman and Michael Yoder. The mare claimed her 28th lifetime win in 70 starts and improved her earnings to $777,223. She paid $3 to win.
Racing continues at Hoosier at the standard 5:30 p.m. post time on Friday with a 14-race card. The track welcomes Little Rocket Man as he seeks to hit the $2 million USD lifetime earnings milestone in the 11th-race $22,000 USD Open 1 Pace with Hall of Famer David Miller slated to drive.
(With files from Hoosier Park)