Competing over a “sloppy” race course, the talented 53-year-old horseman guided the favored High Speed Life into the desired two spot shortly after the start, drafted behind R U For Me until the stretch drive, and then caught and passed the pacesetter in the final strides for a neck triumph.
Thursday’s tally was the second in a row and third this season, all at the Downs, for the swift-striding 7-year-old mare, who currently sports 33 lifetime victories and purse earnings of more than $524,000. The productive performer is owned locally by Lopez and Mitchell Frair.
Lopez also logged first-place finishes in the first (Moving Up Fool), second (Nanticoke Snazz), fourth (Wholeftthegateopen) and fifth (Bells Are Ringing) events to move into a tie with defending champ Rick Plano in driving wins with 39 and training tallies with 18. He’s currently the leader in three-win programs here with six.
Plano stayed even with the red-hot reinsman by securing two victories during Thursday’s 11-race program, while Chris Lems bumped his meet-leading driving double count to 10.