Joinusforsomefun and driver Sam Widger were persistent to the wire, stunning the field in the $23,000 Fillies and Mares Invitational Pace Friday, April 9
. Fans in the grandstand got a good look at the duo as they traveled wide in the stretch to bring home the prize in the evening’s featured event.
Three horses led the way before the halfway mark in :56. High Life Speed and Ricky Macomber Jr. led the way into the second half of the race with California invaders Giveittoemstaight and Gilbert Garcia-Herrera first over around the final turn. In the stretch, horses were across the track with one final attempt to emerge as the winner, placing Joinusforsomefun and Widger on the extreme outside to rally from the back of the pack.
In the stretch, the front ones were trying to hold on but the horsepower from the rear of the pack began to take shape. Northern Lei Ann and Peter Wrenn, last week’s winner, were the last pair to find a seam, but when they did, they powered forward. However, Joinusforsomefun would not give up and was persistent to reach the finish line first in a time of 1:53.4, just a neck ahead of Northern Lei Ann. Giveittoemstaight held on for third.
“They got a little stacked up on the backside for this type of field,” said Widger. “She wants to go and sometimes right now. She got on the line and never came off of it, so we were wide in the stretch. But, she is the real deal and if Brett [Wilfong] can keep her fresh, she should be a contender all year in that class.”
Joinusforsomefun was making her first start of 2010 for trainer Brett Wilfong. The four-year-old pint-sized Cape Crusader mare is owned by Wilfong and his father, Lynn, and now has more than $87,000 in career earnings.
“To quote Shakespeare, ‘Though she be small, she is fierce’,” said Widger. “A big track doesn’t affect her at all. She doesn’t know she’s small.”
Joinusforsomefun took her career best time last year at Indiana Downs in a time of 1:51.3. She was a winner in 12 of 18 starts as a three-year-old, and will hit some of the Illinois stakes later on in the season.
(Hoosier Park)