Border Fighting knifed through the slop with ease in Tuesday’s Valentowner Pace at The Meadows, capturing his sixth straight race and stamping himself as the favourite in next week’s series final
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The number six also came into play for driver Mike Wilder, who drove six winners - three for trainer Randy Bendis - on the 15-race card.
Dave Palone allowed Border Fighting to float away from the gate third but sent him to the front with a decisive quarter-pole move. The I Am A Fool-Magic Moments gelding put away the field with a sizzling :27.4 third panel and went on to score by two lengths in 1:53.1. Jolly Jubiter was second, with Home Again Dragon third.
Ron Burke trains Border Fighting, who has won eight of 12 lifetime starts, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Joseph DiScala, Jr. and Cynthia Massari. The clocking equaled the pacer’s lifetime best.
Fall Bliss was sent off the 4-5 favourite in his $15,000 division, but had to erase a seven-length deficit down the backside to win his third straight for Brett Miller in 1:54.2. He was a head better than the closing Smile A Little. Loadedupntruckin finished third.
Del S. Miller trains Fall Bliss, a Blissfull Hall-Fall Festival ridgling, for Horseshoe Road Farm.
Zipnthruthehall won the other division in 1:53.3, and in doing so extended his winning streak to three-in-a-row for trainer Ron Burke. Dave Palone mapped out the winning trip for the son of Blissfull Hall, who defeated Joe Palz and Martini Twist.
The pacer has put together a 3-1-0 in four starts this season for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Pennsylvania. The colt has banked $35,300 to date.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, Jesses Messenger, Ohio’s champion filly trotter at two and three, successfully launched her four-year-old campaign with a first-over victory in 1:55.3 for Brett Miller. Action-Broadway rallied for second, while Digital Pix was third.
Kent Sherman trains Jesses Messenger, a daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Laser Message who has won 16 of 23 lifetime starts and $291,560, for Daryl Sherman.
(The Meadows)