Amanda Tobinski’s Miss Walker, a six-year-old Aces N Sevens offspring, out of the Abercrombie mare In Chris Walker, made every pole a winning one scoring in 1:57.1 to register her seventh win of the year
, in the $9,000 Filly and Mares Open Handicap Pace at Buffalo Raceway Friday night
.
Capably driven by reinsman Jim McNeight, Miss Walker ($5.10), the slight favourite in the race, left hard from post five, and controlled the race, setting all the fractions, :29.3, :58.4, and 1:28. A :29.1 last quarter-mile put the winner three-quarters of a length in front of Pembroke Primo (Kevin Cummings) at the finish line. Southwind Prairie (Ron Beback, Jr.) came in third.
“The plan was to get her to the front,” said McNeight. “Once there, the soft fractions really helped.”
Trained by John Mungillo, the $4,500 share of the winning purse put Miss Walker’s season bankroll at $39,659, and $99,763 lifetime.
In Friday’s $9,000 Open Handicap Trot, Redneck Reindeer ($4.10) also went wire-to-wire, in 2:00.4, to register his eighth win of the year for owner Betty Tauber.
A :30.1 last quarter-mile put the Giant Hit offspring, who was driven by reinsman Ken Holliday, three-quarters of a length ahead of second place finisher Australian Stock (Ray Fisher, Jr.) at the finish line. Gust (Jack Flanigen) came in third.
“I didn’t do anything but keep him out of trouble,” said Holliday.
Trained by Sherri Holliday, the $4,500 share of the winning purse put Redneck Reindeer’s season bankroll at $43,725, and $259,809 lifetime.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)