Favoured Friskies Angel, sired by Midland Acres’ Feelin Friskie, held on by a neck to capture Friday’s $17,500 championship of the inaugural Dr. Don Mossbarger Memorial series at Miami Valley Raceway.
Mossbarger, a member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame, was the founder and patriarch of renowned breeding facility Midland Acres in nearby Bloomingburg, Ohio, until his death late in 2014.
Driver Don Irvine, Jr. sent the even-money favourite directly to the lead, although he had to work hard to reach the front during a :27.1 opening panel. Following a second quarter breather, arriving at the halfway station in :57.2, Friskies Angel put the pedal to the metal to a 1:25.3 third quarter before holding off pocket-sitting Last Flight In (Jason Brewer) by a neck in 1:54.4 with Electric Dancemove (Dan Noble) another quarter-length back in third.
Scot Davidson trains the winner for Howard Taylor. The four-year-old mare now has 27 lifetime wins in just 51 starts and pushed past the $110,000 earnings plateau with the triumph.
A race earlier, Shine N Shimmer (Chris Page) showed her heels to the field in the $14,850 Fillies and Mares Open Pace, topping Betit To Getit (Jason Brewer) and Rev Me Up (Randy Tharps) in 1:53.2.
Off at 5/2 odds, Page used Shine N Shimmer’s inside post draw to full advantage posting front-running fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:25 before holding on for a victory margin of a neck with a :28.2 closing quarter.
It was the third seasonal victory in a dozen tries for the winner, a seven-year-old mare by American Ideal. Howard Taylor also co-owns Shine N Shimmer with Dandy Farms Inc. Jim Ellison conditions the lifetime winner of over $345,000.
Chris Page, currently fourth in the Miami Valley dash standings, scored a hat trick with three victories on the heels of a four-win performance on Thursday night.
Racing resumes Saturday night highlighted by the $20,000 championship of the Tom Tharps Memorial pacing series and a $17,050 Open Handicap Pace. Total purses for the strong 13-race program are $144,300. Post time is 6:30 p.m.
(Miami Valley Raceway)