Native Bride, making her only second start of the 2009 season, went a big mile on a track listed as good to win the $30,000 Open I Pace for fillies and mares Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
. The four-year-old Allamerican Native mare, driven by Joe Pavia Jr. and trained by Gary Napierala, stopped the timer in 1:50.2.
Leaving from the one post in the eight-horse field, Pavia Jr. and Native Bride sat fourth for the first half of the mile with Dr Nabrinsky (Ryan Anderson) the opening split leader with a time of :26.2 before Pancleefandarpels (Jason Bartlett) led the field to the half in :54.1.
It was down the backstretch when Pavia Jr. went first-over to overtake the field with the three-quarters timed in 1:22.1. Native Bride, who was sixth in her first start back at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs the previous week with similar company, won by a 1-1/4 over 11-1 longshot Teenage Paige (Tom Jackson) with Ireneonthemove (Greg Grismore) third in the race.
The 1:50.2 time was just two fifths of a second off the four-year-old mare pacing mark of Sherry.
Pavia Jr., second in the driver standings to Jim Morrill Jr., had seven wins on the 16-race Wednesday night program.
In the prior race, Open II Fillies & Mares Pace, Pavia Jr. won with Esmeralda Semalu, a five-year-old Electric Stena mare that he also trains. Esmeralda Semalu paced this mile in 1:50.4, which marked her fourth straight victory.
Mind Boggling (Anthony Napolitano) was second to Esmeralda Semalu while Chantal Hall (Jimmy Whittemore) was third.
(With files from Pocono Downs)