Some horses hate shipping, while others don't seem to mind it quite as much. One thing for certain is that a particular daughter of American Ideal seems to thrive off a little highway time.
Betterluvnexttime notched her third consecutive win — at as many tracks — when she kicked home off a pocket trip to capture the $18,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace at the Meadows on Thursday, May 30.
The five-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Darriwillian Girl began her streak on May 3 with a narrow win in a Hoosier Park Invitational. She followed that victory up with a May 17 romp in Scioto Downs’ Filly & Mare Open 1.
On Thursday at the Meadows, Betterluvnexttime settled in behind Magic Starlight for Brett Miller, pulled the pocket around the final turn and defeated Magic Starlight by one and a quarter lengths in a career-best 1:51. Dream of Winning finished third.
The mile was just two ticks off the track record for older pacing mares. Virgil Morgan Jr. trains Betterluvnexttime, who has won 10 of 13 starts this year and $256,147 lifetime, for Daniel Mitchell.
Friday’s card at the Meadows features the Bye Bye Byrd, a PASS event for three-year-old pacing colts and gelding. Among the headliners are Twilight Bonfire, a winner in the Matron Stakes last year, and Johns Polyview, whose 2012 mile of 1:51.1 still stands as the track record for freshman pacers. First post is 6:55 p.m.
(With files from The Meadows)