In the 200th start of her distinguished career, Im Justa Lady showed that she still can trot with The Meadows’ elite, as she captured Tuesday’s $25,000 Filly & Mare Preferred
Handicap with a Lighting Lane charge.
Tony Hall hustled Im Justa Lady to the lead, where the nine-year-old daughter of Inquirer-Quite Becoming yielded to the quarter-pole move of Southwind Wasabi. As Southwind Wasabi dueled with the first-over American Pride, Im Justa Lady waited patiently, finally brushing inside to erase a 3-1/2 length deficit in the stretch.
She scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1. Southwind Wasabi finished second, but was placed back to third for interference with American Pride. That trotter was promoted to second.
Bill Daumit trains Im Justa Lady, who now has won 65 races and $550,069 in her career for Janet Collins and Patricia Daumit.
In Tuesday’s companion feature, the $25,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace, 3/5 favourite Red Star Hottie used a perfect pocket trip to outsprint Forever Ivy in the lane and score in 1:51.4 for Dave Palone. Forever Ivy was a clear second over the ground-saving Francies Dream.
Ron Burke trains Red Star Hottie, a five-year-old daughter of As Promised-Whitehorse Fever who has captured three of her four starts since adding Lasix for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Hall drove five winners and Palone three on the 14-race card.
(The Meadows)