It took over five minutes for the judges to examine the tightest of photographs and declare Diana Hall, a daughter of Like A Prayer, the winner of Sunday night's $225,200 Moni Maker final for three-year-old trotting fillies at the Red Mile.
Driver Ron Pierce rushed Diana Hall off the gate and settled the filly in behind last week's elimination winner and 5-2 second choice, Stage Show, driven by Dave Palone, as the field straightened out up the backstretch. Those two would race that way until meeting a challenge from the 1-2 favourite Lantern Kronos, and driver Jimmy Takter, as they were midway around the final turn.
Lantern Kronos, who earned a bye into the final based on being the wealthiest filly entered, was stride for stride with Stage Show as the field turned for home. Diana Hall patiently waited for racing room only a length back in third.
As the two favourites were slugging it out down the lane, Lantern Kronos began to drift out a bit. Pierce saw his opening and put Diana Hall to the drive, attempting to split horses. Those three were the participants of a scintillating stretch drive, and it appeared as if Diana Hall and Stage Show had put away Lantern Kronos in deep stretch, but the Takter trainee had an almost perfectly timed late surge just a few strides before the wire.
The photo revealed that Diana Hall hit the wire first by the slimmest of margins over Lantern Kronos, with Stage Show only a head back in third. Diana Hall returned $16.20 in scoring the upset.
The stretch drive will be remembered as one of the most thrilling in recent history at the Red Mile.
Diana Hall is trained by Francisco Del Cid for Mario Mazza of Hamilton Township, New Jersey.
The Red Mile will be back in action tonight with an action-packed 18-race card. Twelve divisions of the John Simpson Memorial Stakes for freshman trotters and pacers will be contested.
First race post is at 6:30 p.m.
Click here to view the entries.
(With files from the Red Mile)