Montenegro, with Ricky Macomber Jr. at the lines, made amends for last week’s second-place finish and rolled home a winner in the featured event, a $24,000 Invitational Pace for fillies and mares, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, May 17.
Despite unfavorable weather conditions and outside post position, the duo stopped the timer in 1:54.3 off a tough front end effort over a track rated "good."
As the wings of the gate unfolded, it was a cavalry charge to the front with Tyler Smith and Sam Widger battling for early position. Mcflirty and Smith were the first to get a call as they cleared to the front through the opening panel in :27.3. Pacific Date and Widger were parked out in second while Ed Hensley also had Winning It out and taking aim at the leader. Leaving from post nine, Montenegro was unhurried out of the gate and settled along the rail in fifth.
Unsatisfied with his position, Macomber Jr. gave Montenegro the green light and made a bid to the front down the backside. Reaching the front through the half mile time in :56.2, Montenegro led the tightly knit field of eight through the final turn. As the field turned for home, Smith had Mcflirty back out and firing at the leader with Timmylynn and Trace Tetrick perfectly placed second over.
The field began to fan out across the track just as Montenegro found a :28.4 final panel to hold off her rivals and pace through the wire a head in front. Mcflirty battled gamely to finish second while Timmylynn rounded out the trifecta in third. As the heavy betting favourite, Montenegro returned $5.80 to her backers.
Trained by Hoosier Park’s reigning leader trainer, Ron Burke, Montenegro notched her third win in 13 starts this season. Montenegro has earned over $40,000 in purse earnings in 2013 for her connections of Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. The five-year-old mare now sports a career bankroll of over $230,000 from 13 lifetime victories.
(Hoosier Park)