Racine Bell and Hen Party were just too much for the competition to handle in their respect $58,000 divisions of the NYSS for three-year-old filly pacers during Thursday’s card of racing at Vernon Downs.
John MacDonald rushed to the lead with Racine Bell in the opening division, and after cutting the first quarter in :26.2 that filly took a backseat to race favourite Cash Roll on the way to the half. Cash Roll hit the mid-way point in :54.4, and she was pressed by the parked out Roll With Angel to the three-quarter marker in 1:22.3. Racing Bell shook loose late and kicked home in :28 to win by a nose over both runner-up Dragon Roll and third-place finisher Galleria Gal. Time for the mile was 1:51.
Sent off at odds of 4-1, the David Dewhurst-trained daughter of So Surreal-Tys Artist won for the second time this season and for the fifth time in her career. The $29,000 payday pushed her career earnings to $183,864 for owners Chris Lawton and Dale Lawton.
Hen Party extended her winning streak to three-in-a-row thanks to her 1:50.2 performance in the second division.
Andrew McCarthy got away third with the Tony Alagna trainee while Pettycoat Business rushed to the top and cut the first panel of :27.1. McCarthy pressed the pedal on his filly in the second quarter, and together they worked to the lead while racing parked at the mid-way point in :55.2. Hen Party sliced out the three-quarter call in 1:23.1 and then used a :27.1 closing quarter to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Pettycoat Business in 1:50.2. Alleyesonme AS was third.
The daughter of Roll With Joe-My Lady Day improved her 2020 record to 3-0-1 from four starts while pushing her lifetime earnings close to $260,000. Crawford Farms Racing of Syracuse, NY owns the six-time winner.