A crafty drive by Kayne Kauffman lead to a convincing win by Maggie Rhee in Miami Valley’s $30,000 Mares Open Pace on Tuesday (April 12).
Despite leaving from the innermost post position, Kauffman was content to settle Maggie Rhee into fourth during a torrid :26.4 opening panel in which Coral Reef Hanover wrestled the lead from Snobbytown.
Sensing a pedestrian second split, Kauffman moved the five-year-old daughter of Jeremes Jet first up in the outer flow as the halfway point was reached in :56.2. With the pace quickening considerably, Maggie Rhee was able to advance to second on the outside at the 1:23.3 three-quarters, then pinned a :27.3 closing quarter on her adversaries to seal the deal. Snobbytown, making her initial 2022 start off a pair of qualifiers, raced well to be second with Sherris Babe rallying from far back to hit the board in third.
Maggie Rhee now boasts 19 wins in just 44 starts, good for $202,407 in earnings. The 100% Illinois-bred mare (Jeremes Jet-Bow Wow Wine-The Big Dog) spent the winter racing at Hawthorne from driver-trainer Todd Warren’s barn but has recently returned to the tutelage of trainer Tim Wilson Jr, who co-owns Maggie Rhee with partners Mark Eichberger and Norman Neff.
Earlier on the card, driver Tony Hall followed up on Monday’s Grand Slam at Miami Valley with a natural hat trick on Tuesday. His three consecutive winning drives came behind Camie’s Babygirl ($17.80), Roan Color ($4) and Big Teddy ($11.20).
Miami Valley will present live racing on Wednesday (April 13) and Thursday (April 14) at 4:05 p.m. (EDT) before taking a hiatus on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend.
(Miami Valley Raceway)