Dont Spank Me, driven by Andy Shetler, utilized her customary late charge to prevail in the featured event of the evening, a $22,000 Fillies and Mares Invitational Pace, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, August 22.
The 1:51.2 victory was a new lifetime best and the third win at this level in the last four outings for Dont Spank Me.
Leaving from post seven in the talented field of nine, Dont Spank Me was unhurried from the gate and settled along the rail in eighth while a host of others left alertly. Latenite Rendevous and Ross Leonard were the first to get a call through the opening panel in :26.3 while Nutmegs Yankee and Terry Cullipher were well placed in the pocket second.
Peter Wrenn had Miss Millie out and firing early down the backside and the duo found the front through the second panel in :55.2. Miss Millie continued to call the shots around the third station in 1:23.3, but Blissful Romance and Ricky Macomber Jr. were applying pressure to their outside with the rest of the field also closing in.
As the field turned for home, Dont Spank Me was perfectly placed second over and had her sights set on the leader. Just as Miss Millie began to tire on the front, Dont Spank Me found another gear and exploded past her rivals halfway down the stretch.
Using a :27.1 final panel, Dont Spank Me finished four lengths in front of American Girl and Sam Widger ,who closed gamely to finish second. Latenite Rendezvous also rallied late in the lane to round out the trifecta. As the 8-5 favourite, Dont Spank Me returned $5.20 to her backers at the windows.
“She’s a fun mare to drive,” Shetler noted in the winner’s circle. “She’s the type of mare that if you put her in position to win, she will do the rest. She raced big again tonight.”
Trained, owned and bred by Wayne Carter, Dont Spank Me notched her fifth win of the season from 15 starts. The four-year-old daughter of Capital Request-Catalog has now won 13 of 36 lifetime outings while amassing $170,337.
Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will continue on Saturday, August 23 with a daily post time of 5:15 p.m. The 14-race card will be highlighted by the $22,000 Invitational Pace.
(Hoosier Park)