Lightning Paige not only upended the favourite, Southwind Jazmin, in Friday night’s feature condition pace for fillies and mares, but she also broke Southwind Jazmin’s track record for four-year-old mares in the process.
The race, featuring fillies and mares who were non-winners of $24,000 in their last five starts, carried a purse of $21,000.
Leaving from post position No. 3 in a field of eight as the 7-1 third choice, Lightning Paige, a four-year-old mare from the barn of trainer Steve Elliott, led at the quarter before giving it up to the 2-5 favourite Southwind Jazmin, who had conquered the same condition with ease in her last start. The two horses stayed one-two until the stretch, when Lightning Paige pulled the pocket and driver Andrew McCarthy urged her past the favourite by a neck for the victory in 1:49. Stacked Deck finished further back in third.
Southwind Jazmin had set the Pocono mark for four-year-old mares of 1:49.2 in a victory back in July 2012, but that fell to Lightning Paige on Friday night. Owned by Lightning Stable, Lightning Paige won for the fourth time this year and 10th time in her career, giving her $201,843 in lifetime earnings.
(Pocono Downs)