Safe From Terror pleased a majority of the punters on Friday night (April 1) at Miami Valley Raceway as the even-money favourite won the $20,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace for the third time in her last four tries since returning to Ohio from Pompano Park two months ago.
Driver Chris Page floated Safe From Terror out from behind the gate, waited for her main rivals Native Dream (Dan Noble) and American Girl (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) to settle on the front end, then burst up to take the lead at the :27.3 first quarter station. The four-year-old daughter of Western Terror had little difficulty maintaining her position on the point through remaining teletimer stoppages of :56, 1:24.3 and 1:53 at the finish. The pride of the Winchester Baye Acres stable, trained by Jim Arledge Jr., returned $4.20 to her faithful with the convincing score over runner-up American Girl and show finisher Ken Doll J (Josh Sutton). Safe From Terror, a Harrisburg sale purchase last November, now has 16 career victories and $526,262 in earnings -- $42,640 of the total in eight 2016 starts.
A pair of first leg divisions of the Dr. Don Mossbarger Memorial trotting series were also contested with Southwind Roulette and Tucson Breeze copping the lion’s share of the $12,500 purses.
Southwind Roulette (Chris Page) lived up to her favourite status, prevailing over Cool Desire (Randy Tharps) and Swinging Cami (Jeremy Smith) in 1:53.3. A daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, owned by Frank Poerio Jr. and trained by Kris Hinchcliff, she returned $4.60 for a $2 Win bet. Although just a five-time winner, thus fitting the series conditions (non-winners of six pari-mutuel races or $50,000 lifetime), Southwind Roulette now has over $530,000 in lifetime bounty.
Tucson Breeze (Dan Noble), on the other hand, did not garner the same kind of pre-race support, but nevertheless paced home a fast-closing 1:53 winner, returning a handsome $31.80 mutuel. Heavily favoured Ginger Tree Alexis (Josh Sutton) cut the mile throughout before finishing second, while Dandys Beauty (Randy Tharps) got up for third. The winner is owned by Aimee Hock and is trained by her father Bill Mt. Pleasant. The win was the daughter of Nuclear Breeze’s seventh and pushed her career earnings to $55,483.
Rose Run Quasar (Chris Page) won her fifth consecutive race at her third different track over the past five weeks. The four-year-old Explosive Matter mare, owned by Jeffrey Porter and trained by Dale Edwards, started her streak with a pair of triumphs at Northfield Park, captured two more at The Meadows, and garnered her first at Miami Valley in 1:57.4. Her next start is expected to be in the Dr. Dan Farwick Memorial Series at Miami Valley on April 12. Both Cincinnati Gal (Josh Sutton), who was second, and Vin (Roy Wilson), who grabbed the show loot, are also nominated to the Mossbarger.