Lebanon, OH — Party At The Banks (Chris Page) and Peggy Sue (Brady Galliers), a pair of classy mares sitting at the rear of a field of the Midwest’s best geldings in Tuesday’s (Jan. 28) $24,000 Open Trot at Miami Valley Raceway, got serious as they approached the :56.4 halfway juncture. They swept past their male counterparts in the second half mile and finished one-two in the feature race, clocked in 1:55.2.

Party At The Banks was the leading lady in Tuesday’s featured trot at Miami Valley Raceway.

Page was content to ease his winning mare off the gate, landing last as the leaders tripped the initial beam in :27.1. Party At The Banks was pulled to the outside just before front-stepping Sweet Mr Pinetucky (Trace Tetrick) reached the midway point in :56.4. Making steady progress during the third stanza, the 6-year-old daughter of Break The Bank K moved up to fourth in second-over position at the 1:25.3 three-quarters station, with Peggy Sue in tow. The pair of mares still had a half dozen lengths to make up as they swung off the final turn, but with the leader’s strides shortening late in the mile, they were able to accomplish the feat with a few steps still to go.

Party At The Banks, the 2019 older Ohio Sires Stakes champion, was making her third start of the 2020 season. Racing for the Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, she now sports 27 wins in 62 lifetime tries and a bankroll of $326,548.

The last pair of Claim To Fame Series finals were also contested on Tuesday.

Smash proved best in the Claim To Fame final for distaff pacers. Conrad Photo.

Smash (John DeLong) lead Galyns Gift (Galliers) and M E Radar Girl (Miller) past the wire in 1:55.4 to be crowned queen of the $12,500 claiming mares. Wilfong Racing LLC got the winner’s share of the $22,500 purse. Peter Redder trains Smash, who returned $17.40 to her faithful in a mild upset.

Legal Transfer (Jeremy Smith) copped the split for $8,000 male claiming pacers, topping Beachboydesire (Tetrick) by a head with Colossal (Josh Sutton) just a half length back at the end of the 1:54.4 mile. Trainer Adam Short also owns the 11-year-old winner, who has banked over a quarter million dollars in his career. Legal Transfer paid $5.60 to win.