Despite not being in the main event at Buffalo Raceway, Majic Laughter became 'the feature' as she pulled an unexpected Wednesday night stunner setting a new track record for aged pacing mares with a 1:54.2 effort.
Majic Laughter went wire-to-wire in the $7,600 tilt, and in doing so erased the former track standard of 1:54.3 recorded by Real Joy and Pathtodover in 2013.
Driver/trainer Jim McNeight sent the lukewarm favourite Majic Laughter to the top from the rail and posted fractions of :28.1, :57.2, and 1:26.1. A final quarter panel of :28.1 allowed the five-year-old mare to march to a 4-1/2 length win over Fiftyonefifty.
The daughter of Western Terror-Pumpsandpearls is owned by Bradley Jackson. It was her second victory of the season and her share of the loot pushed her yearly bankroll to $11,383. She paid $6.70.
In the featured $10,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace, there was another surprise as Taylor Rei ($16.00) scored a 1-3/4 length decision over Ugly Betty in 1:56.
Sitting third past the half, driver Ray Fisher, Jr. went to the outside and started to grind to the lead. At the three-quarter post, pace-setter Jens Underdog gave up the lead as Taylor Rei blew on by, opening up a three-length edge at the top of the stretch.
From there, the lead to proved to be insurmountable as Taylor Rei (Cheyenne Rei-Lady Raider) stayed on task to hold off the late-charging Ugly. Jens Underdog held on for third.
The six-year-old Taylor Rei is owned by Mo Coo Inc and Jonathan Klee Racing and is trained by Ryan Swift. It was the mare's third win in 11 starts this year and it pushed her earnings to $20,328.
(Buffalo Raceway)