Imadragon, Shakey Slim and Go Easy On Me all scored late closer series wins at the five-eighths mile distance Saturday afternoon at Colonial Downs.
The matinee card complemented New Kent County Fair activities on the grounds, which continue though Sunday.
In the Horace Martin Memorial’s first leg, both division winners crossed in 1:09.2 in abbreviated fields. Imadragon got his second win of opening week in the first $3,500 division. The 10-year-old Dragon Again gelding grabbed an initial pocket trip behind Smokey Lonesome N through the turn before tangling with eventual runner-up Dynamic Rayzer in deep stretch. Dustin Ingraham guided Imadragon to a three-quarter length victory against four other foes for trainer Cheryl Whitsell.
Shakey Slim equalled Imadragon’s finishing time in the second division, but Stacy McLenaghan opted for a front-stepping journey versus Ingraham’s pocket trip. The Providence Forge, Virginia resident triggered early fractions of :26.1 and :54.2 before crossing one and a half lengths over Overseer NZ in the modest four-horse field. The seven-year-old Park Place gelding has 15 “in the money” finishes in 18 starts this year. McLenaghan, who also owns and trains the pacer, got her first driving win of the season.
A nine-horse field populated the U Gotta Win One Now Pacing Series' first leg. Henry Lewis’s Go Easy On Me squeaked out a tight win over Stacy McLenaghan’s Whiting Hanover, though the time was nearly two seconds slower than the first pair. Both “sprinters” met midway down the stretch and battled to the short finish. The winner, an eight-year-old Camtown Fella gelding, clocked in at 1:11.1 while gaining his fourth win of the year.
The second leg of both series will be contested at the three-quarter mile distance next Saturday. Colonial Downs presents a nine-race card Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.
(Colonial Downs)