Chester, PA --- Sitting off a fast yet uncontested early pace before making her move, Jeffrey Bamond, Joseph Davino, and Mark Kesmodel's Anndrovette ($5.60) overcame a furious stretch charge from Higher And Higher to prevail in the fourth edition of the $150,000 Betsy Ross for pacing mares, held Sunday (May 29) afternoon at Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack.
The 4-year-old Riverboat King mare was floated off the inside wing of the gate by Tim Tetrick, settling in midfield while Omen Hanover (Jim Pantaleano) made a strong push to the early lead. Omen Hanover had no trouble clearing Rock N Soul (Yannick Gingras) on the first turn, drilling a :26.1 first quarter before yielding to Anndrovette with one circuit to go.
Anndrovette maintained the blistering pace after charging to the front, reaching the halfway stage in :54.1 while Omen Hanover yielded to the pocket. Meanwhile, Daryl Bier situated the stretch-pacing Higher And Higher second-over behind the cover of Ginger And Fred (Ron Pierce).
Exiting the backstretch, Ginger And Fred turned up the pressure on Anndrovette, at which point Bier fanned Higher And Higher three-wide. At the top of the stretch, Anndrovette dismissed the challenge of Ginger And Fred, but appeared to be collared by Higher And Higher with a sixteenth to go.
Digging in the entirety of the stretch, Anndrovette barely prevailed, staving off Higher And Higher by a neck to win in 1:49.4. Chancey Lady (Corey Callahan) rallied from off the pace to be third.
Earlier in the card, world champion trotting mare Buck I St Pat made a break behind the gate in the $40,000 first preliminary leg of the Maxie Lee Memorial, which was won by Yannick Gingras and Dawn Gannon's Looking Hanover ($17.60). The 6-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding survived a backstretch challenge from Anders Bluestone (Ron Pierce) before holding off Pilgrims Chuckie (Daniel Dubé) in the final yards to prevail by a head in 1:53.2.