Serendipitious proved she was better than the boys in the $7,900 conditioned/optional claiming trot at Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday night (April 22) and made sure her male counterparts won't soon forget it.
The Ontario-bred and owned mare not only destroyed the field of geldings by five lengths, she went the mile in track record time of 1:58.1, the fastest ever by a trotting mare at the Hamburg half-mile oval.
The previous all-aged mark for mares was 1:58.2 set by Escrow Blue Chip in 2012. The 1:58.1 time by Serendipitious also established a new standard for four-year-old trotting mares at Buffalo Raceway. The old time for that level was 1:58.4 held by Hat (2011), Clydabell (2012) and Sabo (2012).
Driver Kevin Cummings was a hit with the ladies in the early going as he sent Serendipitious to the record-setting mile. A Cameo In Life ($8.70) then made a clean sweep for Cummings in the early Daily Double by rolling to a one and three-quarter length decision in 1:58 in the co-featured $8,500 Open II for the distaff pacers.
Serendipitious ($2.90) started off the night impressively in scoring a five-length decision, earning her third win in four tries in 2015. The track was fast but a raw wind, temperatures in the low 40s and occasional rain and snow showers made the record even more remarkable.
Serendipitious had little trouble going gate-to-wire. Scoring from the four post, Cummings went right to the top with the winner, facing no resistance. Posting fractions of :29, :59 and 1:29, the outer flow started to develop just before the three-quarter marker. That's when Serendipitious got her cue to put it into high gear. She had no issues in the stretch, going :29.1 in the final panel. September Hall (Shawn McDonough) and Studio City (Ron Beback Jr.) were left to battle it out for the minor spoils and finished in second and third, respectively.
Owned by Guy Polillo of Brantford, Ont. and trained by John Mungillo, Serendipitious (Majestic Son-Royal B G) has now earned $11,948 this season and $75,638 in her young career.
In the co-featured second race, A Cameo In Life completed the 4-2 'Cummings Daily Double' combination that returned $14.00. Sitting third down the backstretch the final time, A Cameo In Life tipped to the outside, brushing easily to the lead and never looked back from there. Eyemajet (Shawn Gray) finished in second while Wicked Elphaba (Ray Fisher Jr.) took the show position.
Owned by Clark Siminski and trained by Kirk Desmond, A Cameo In Life (Lease On Life-Allamerican Cameo) has now put $20,938 in the bank this year and $80,028 lifetime. It was the fifth win in 13 attempts for the six-year-old mare.
Cummings and Gray finished with three victories apiece while Jack Flanigen doubled.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)