A Fool For Mark established himself as a potential “Horse of the Meet” candidate by collecting his third win in four Colonial Downs fall starts Wednesday afternoon in a second leg division of the VHHA Pacing Series
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A Fool For Mark’s only blemish thus far came in the VHHA’s first leg, which was contested last week at the three-quarter mile distance. On Wednesday, it was back to the traditional mile route. After starting from Post 2 in the seven-horse field, Dustin Ingraham’s pacer was positioned fourth near the half before going first over to begin a move front-stepping Beyond Perfection. The five-year-old Western Ideal gelding made it into second at the top of the stretch, a length behind, then caught the leader in mid-stretch and breezed home in a lifetime best 1:51.2.
The two length win was his fifth of the year and 10th career triumph. A Fool For Mark gained respective 3-3/4 and 5-1/2 length victories in a pair of starts outside of the late closer series he is competing in. The three wins, and runner-up finish in last week’s leg, are the most among horses so far in the seven day old meet.
Virgil Morgan’s Wildfire Princess captured the second VHHA division in comeback fashion. After breaking in the first leg and finishing last, the four-year-old pacing mare was buried in seventh through the first three fractions Wednesday before reinsman J.D. Wengerd directed a big move. Wildfire Princess went to the far outside and charged past all front-steppers in time to capture a one and three-quarter length win in 1:52.2, setting a new life mark. Last week’s blemish haulted a five-race win streak collected at Scioto Downs before shipping in for the Colonial fall meet.
Next week’s third leg of the late closer will be contested at the one and a quarter mile distance, as will the final on October 19.
(Colonial Downs)