On Monday, April 1 at Yonkers Raceway, the Brian Sears-driven Fast And Fiesty completed her sweep of the Petticoat Pacing Series for three and four-year-old fillies and mares by capturing the final in 1:54.4.
Anxious to get going from Post 2, the 1-4 favourite found the front well before the :28.1 opening quarter-mile. Upfrontwhosurlady (driven by Mark MacDonald) was pylon-protective of the pocket, with Sooo Windy (Jason Bartlett) hung out.
There wasn't much reshuffling after the :57.2 opening half, although Fast And Fiesty had to contend with her stubborn parked-out foe. Sooo Windy pressed the pace by the 1:25.4 three-quarters, before the people's preference shook her off.
Fast and Fiesty owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, then widened to two and a half lengths at the wire. The mile was a season's-best 1:54.4. Upfrontwhosurlady, one of two sophomores in the race, held second over Cruise Queen (Matt Kakaley), with Ladys Art (Eric Goodell) and Nightly Terror (Cat Manzi) completing the cashers.
Uilleann (George Brennan) --- the other three-year-old in the race --- Sooo Windy and Apach of Luck (Dan Dube) rounded out the order. Cruise Queen and Apach of Luck raced as a Ron Burke-trained/common owner entry.
"She's very sharp right now," Sears said of Fast and Fiesty. "She hasn't had many chances to race on the front end, and when she saw the other horse (Sooo Windy) alongside, she just hit another gear."
Fast And Fiesty, a four-year-old daughter of Allamerican Native trained by Tom Fanning for owner Victor Apolinario, returned $2.50 for her sixth win (fourth consecutive) in eight seasonal starts. Included in the run were all three Petticoat events, with one preliminary leg cancelled due to inclement weather. The exacta paid $17.80, the triple returned $30.40 and the superfecta paid $190.
A $25,000 series consolation was won by Aint Got a Home (Goodell, $9) in 1:56.2.
(With files from Yonkers)