Barn Bella ($3.60) broke the three-year-old trotting filly track record again at Tioga Downs with a victory in the $12,000 Open Trot on Saturday night (June 10).
Barn Bella is five-for-five as a three-year-old. At Tioga Downs this year, the Conway Hall filly, who is owned by Purple Haze Stables along with Nancy and Steve (trainer) Pratt is three-for-three. She has either equalled the track record or beaten it in each start. Tonight, she raced around the five-eighths oval in 1:52.4 beating her own mark of 1:53.3 that she took in a New York Sire Stakes leg on May 28.
Wisenheimer (Mike Simons) led the field to the first quarter, but Barn Bella, driven by Jim Taggart Jr., brushed by to take over with one lap to go. She led by four lengths at the top of the stretch. That is when the late-charging Prairie Fortune (Jim Meittinis) took a run at her. Just when it looked like he might catch her, Barn Bella found even another gear to smash her record.
Barn Bella used this as a tune-up as she will race in the $228,000 Empire Breeders Classic final on Sunday, June 18 at Vernon Downs.
Leading driver Mike Simons added to his total tonight winning three times with Explosive Drama ($4), Noble Anthony ($3.70), and Winning Wizard ($9.50).
Racing returns Sunday (June 11) afternoon at Tioga Downs at 1 p.m. The 13-race card features the third Graduate Series leg for four-year-old pacers and trotters as the Grand Circuit makes its first 2017 trip to Tioga.
(With files from Tioga Downs)