Wild Wanda and Ricky Macomber Jr. found the winner’s circle for the second consecutive week in the featured event, a $21,000 Fillies and Mares Invitational Pace, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, July 29.
Using a near gate-to-wire performance, the five-year-old mare held off her rivals in the long Hoosier Park stretch to find the wire first in 1:51.1.
Wild Wanda left alertly from the gate, but so did a host of others in the field. Ubettorbeturlife and John DeLong were gunning for early position, but it was White Metro and Jason Dillander who got the first call through the opening panel in :27. Their lead was short-lived as Wild Wanda continued to press on to the front and eventually reached command just before the half in :55.4. White Metro was content to sit in the pocket while Stable Eyes and Tyler Smith were the first to commit to the outer flow.
Wild Wanda continued to call the shots at the three-quarter clocking in 1:24.1, but the rest of the field was closing in. As the field turned for home, Stable Eyes had reached the leader’s wheel and the rest of the field started to fan out across the track. Macomber Jr. asked his mount for more and she found another gear. Using a :27 final quarter, Wild Wanda cruised to the wire under a hand drive to finish two lengths in front of Ubettorbeturlife. Stable Eyes held on gamely for third.
As the post time favourite, Wild Wanda returned $5.20 at the betting windows.
Trained by Jamie Macomber, Wild Wanda notched her sixth win from 20 seasonal outings and 19th lifetime victory. Owned by Larry, Mary Jo, Douglas and Jeanie Rheinheimer, the five-year-old daughter of Palone Ranger-Viking South Coast is in the midst of her best season to date as she sent her seasonal earnings over the $100,000 mark. Wild Wanda has now amassed $257,825 in purse earnings lifetime.
The victory was also one of three wins on the evening’s 14-race card for driver Ricky Macomber Jr. He teamed up with trainer Ron Burke to find the winner’s circle with Speed Trap and Call For Justice earlier in the evening.
(With files from Hoosier Park)