Former Colonial Downs Horse of the Meet wins his 81st race

Woodstock, VA — The 14-year-old A Fool For Mark, the 2011 Horse of the Meet at Colonial Downs, put a punctuation mark on his return to Virginia by wiring the field for his 81st win Friday (Sept. 25) at Shenandoah Downs.

A Fool For Mark was a 1:55.4 winner. Seth Dowling photo.

Dustin Ingraham’s Western Ideal gelding beat six other pacers in a $4,000 claiming handicap in his 414th career start. With Jim Meittinis in the sulky, the veteran gelding held off Lyons Johnny in deep stretch to win by a half-length. He cut fractions of :28, :57.4 and 1:26.2 and finished in 1:55.4, second fastest time of the day. The runner-up, a 12-year-old Mach Three gelding who was making his 265th start, stalked in second through most of the last half.

A Fool For Mark has bankrolled $322,863 from 39 seconds and 68 third place finishes in addition to the 81 wins. His life mark of 1:49.3 came as a 7-year-old at Vernon. He finished second last Friday on the Woodstock oval’s opening day, his first start in Virginia since 2014.

Fastest time of the day was authored by another of Ingraham’s horses — Movie Star — also driven by Meittinis. The 4-year-old Ponder gelding crossed in a lifetime best 1:54.1 after passing Fritzie Pic Up Man and Cirrus De Vie in the stretch. He crossed a half-length the best for his sixth lifetime win.

Shenandoah Downs presents a 15-race card Saturday with first post at 1 p.m. Live streaming is available at www.shenandoahdowns.com.

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