Trevor Williams trainee Tito Santanna sped around the Miami Fair track to a 1:58.2 victory as the 7-5 favourite in the $2,450 Open Pace on Saturday (Aug. 29), giving Williams his third of three victories on the nine-race card.
Leaving from post 4, driver Christopher Brown sent the seven-year-old Santanna Blue Chip gelding to the top before a :29.3 first quarter with pylon-starter Senga Savannah sitting the pocket. Gray Zee edged first over from third moving to a 1:00.3 half but did not gain ground as Tito Santanna took the field to three-quarters in 1:29.2. Around the final turn and through the stretch Tito Santanna maintained command over his competition, striding to a one-and-a-half length win over Senga Savannah with Gray Zee finishing third.
Owned by Trevor Williams, Tito Santanna won his fifth race from 13 starts this season and his 20th from 90 overall, earning $108,332. He paid $4.80 to win. Williams’ other wins came earlier on the card with Verns Wish ($4.10), a 10-length winner, and Outlaw Kismet, a 14-length winner.
Tami Blue took her competitors around the track to score a wire-to-wire win in the $2,350 Fillies & Mares Opens Pace. The six-year-old Blue Burner mare led pocket-sitter Somewhere Ideal through fractions of :30.2, 1:00.2 and 1:30.1. Moving to the final turn Somewhere Ideal moved out of the pocket but quickly began to tire, leaving Tami Blue to cruise to a 1:59.4 win by one-and-three-quarter lengths over Sprinttothefinish riding the pylons for second. Odds-on favourite Ask For Me rallied for third.
Owned, trained and driven by Clayton Braybrook, Tami Blue won her first race from nine starts this season and her fifth from 50 overall, earning $20,745. She paid $5.90 to win.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Miami.