Bettis shocks at 28-1 in Meadows feature
Washington, PA --- Dismissed at 28-1, Bettis saved ground, angled off the pylons late and rallied wide to pull off the stunning upset in Monday’s $20,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
Bettis was among The Meadows’ trotting elite before serious injury sidelined him last year. The 7-year-old son of Sierra Kosmos-SJ’s Shad Roe had been performing capably in conditioned races before a second-place finish in the Nov. 2 Preferred Handicap.
He did one better Monday for Aaron Merriman, downing Southwind Pepino by a head in 1:54.3. The first-over Fox Valley Smarty was third.
David Wade trains Bettis, who now boasts $329,694 in career earnings, and owns with William F. Peel III and Gerald Brittingham.
Dave Palone drove three winners on the 15-race card.
-- Evan Pattak
Dover Downs
Corey Callahan left at the start and victory was never in doubt as Freedom Crossing scored a 1:52.1 triumph in the $16,500 Mares Winners Over Pace at Dover Downs on Monday. Callahan completed the card with four winners while trainer Wayne Givens had a triple. Freedom Crossing dictated all the fractions while recording her third win of the season for Bay Pond Racing. Givens conditions the Artiscape-Bunker To Bunker 5-year-old who now has earned $62,010 this year and $237,361 in her career. Rock N Load (Roger Plante) sat second the entire mile. Lorrie Please (Tim Tetrick) got up for third.
Pompano Park
Bay Girl (Rick Plano) continued her winning ways at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Monday night and staked her claim for consideration as the local "Horse of the Month." The daughter of Royal Mattjesty captured her fourth Fillies and Mares Open Pace in November with a 1:52, gate-to-wire, one length triumph over Blissful Romance (Wally Hennessey). Miss Sparta (Gaston Lareau) got the show dough in the featured $10,000 race. It was the tenth win of the 2012 season for Bay Girl who switched tactics in her latest conquest after sweeping from last to first in her two previous successes. Michael Sergi owns the lifetime winner of $558,204. In a $6.500 event mixing conditioned and claiming mares the mild upset winner was Gold Star Gidget, who gave driver Walter Ross, Jr. his 983rd lifetime victory. The 3-year-old Rock On filly owned by Thomas Audley has now captured two straight 'open' overnight events since an impressive score in the $54,800 Florida Breeders championship in her sophomore pacing division on Nov. 10. Gold Star Gidget may also be worthy of consideration from the FSBOA voting panel that selects the top local horse each month. Eight different drivers visited the winner's circle during the nine-race program. The only multiple winner was Jason Dillander, a recent arrival for the winter from Indiana Downs. The 36-year-old reinsman fashioned a crossover double by winning with the pacer Windsun Countess and the trotter Duck Crossing.