Taking a brief respite from Grand Circuit company, Graham Grace Stables' Call Me Goo showed her class on Sunday, July 28 at Ocean Downs with a facile 1:57.3 win over four rivals in the $35,417 Maryland Sire Stakes for four and five-year-old trotters.
The overwhelming 1-20 favourite, Call Me Goo strolled through early splits of :28.4 and :59.3 before picking up the tempo in the second lap and leaving pocket rival Tenouttaten behind through a :29.1 third sectional. In line to Jonathan Roberts, who led all drivers with three wins on the 12-race card, the four-year-old Googoo Gaagaa-Callmemza mare steadily gained more clearance through the far turn and evaded a mild rally from runner-up Hoofbeats De Vie by 4-3/4 lengths. Tenouttaten faded to third.
Jason Skinner trains Call Me Goo, who has won 21 of her 31 career starts while banking $655,818. Her five wins this season include a division of the Miss Versatility and the $233,000 Armbro Flight at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She paid $2.10 to win.
In the $16,667 Open 1 Handicap Pace, Iwannabewithyou and driver Trae Porter forged to the front shortly after Stag Party clicked off a :26.4 first quarter and then withstood a late three-wide charge from Lyons Stealth to win by a length in 1:51.3. Stag Party finished third.
Iwannabewithyou, a ive-year-old Luck Be Withyou-Bo Tox Hanover gelding with 22 career wins, is trained by Kevin Lare for Forrest Bartlett. He paid $6.60 to win.
Live harness racing at Ocean Downs resumes on Tuesday, July 30. First post is 7:05 p.m.
(Ocean Downs)