A patient drive by Kyle Swift helped Dance Ticket succeed in the $18,243 Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Batavia Downs on Wednesday night, Sept. 18.
Forgot Thewallet A (Dave McNeight III) blasted off the gate from post seven and took a lead that would last to the :56.2 half. It was there that Won Surreal Deal (Kyle Cummings) charged the front-runner, followed by Marathon Mary (Drew Monti) and Dance Ticket, as Forgot Thewallet A had no answers for the takeover.
With new leadership in place for the second time around, Won Surreal Deal paced sharply to three-quarters in 1:24.4 where Marathon Mary tipped to take her shot in the last turn. That left Dance Ticket right behind Won Surreal Deal and that mattered at the top of the lane. Marathon Mary got to the front and looked to be a clear winner, but Dance Ticket dove into the passing lane and flew to the line first by a neck to win in 1:54.2. The time was a new lifetime mark for the five-year-old mare. Louis The Lilac (Kevin Cummings) closed well from the backfield for third, finishing three-quarters of a length back.
Dance Ticket ($10.20) registered her sixth win of the year from 16 starts. The daughter of A Rocknroll Dance is owned by 716 Standardbreds and trained by Courtney Wright.
In the $13,514 mid-level conditioned event for female pacers, Imprincessgemma A (Drew Monti) set fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:27.4 before turning for home and hanging on by three-quarters of a length in a 1:57 win. Elite harness Racing owns Imprincessgemma ($4.20) who is trained by Rachelle Mungillo.
Drew Monti and Joe Chindano Jr. both ended the night with three wins while trainers Rachelle Mungillo and Sam Smith had two wins apiece.
Live harness racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday, Sept. 20 with post time at 6 p.m. and there will be a $636 carryover and the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 13th race.
(With files from Batavia Downs)