Princess Fabulosa had gone six straight tough trips before she raced in the $17,500 featured distaff pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday night (June 26) — and all she could come away with was four seconds and two thirds. The game daughter of Well Said again had a difficult journey at The Downs, but this time she was able to get to the wire first in 1:52.
Brett Miller guided the favourite to a midpack tuck as Juxta Cowgirl went to the lead in the :26.4 opening quarter. Miller had Princess Fabulosa out and rolling before the 56.2 half, and she continued to steadily gain through and past the 1:24 three-quarters. It wasn’t until deep stretch that Princess Fabulosa finally put away the stubborn pacesetter, but she then had to worry about second-over Juslikeaqueen, who finished well but came up a head short, with Juxta Cowgirl another half length back in third.
The persistent Princess Fabulosa, now with a bankroll of $227,190, is trained by Mark Silva and owned by Lewis Whitaker Jr. and Charles Rowe.
In a pari-mutuel event for two-year-old pacing fillies, Brett Miller sent the McArdle-Lionness Hanover filly Queen Of The Pride to the lead past the quarter, got intense pressure from first-over challenger Lady Driver down the backstretch and through the turn, but had a :27 last quarter in reserve to leave that foe 1-1/2 lengths behind at the finish. Her time was 1:56 in her pari-mutuel debut, though she had gone two ticks faster in a qualifying race six days ago for trainer Kevin Lare and owner Frank Chick.
(PHHA/Pocono)