Dayton, OH – The Bethinator (Tyler Smith) stretched her win streak to three by stepping up into open company for the first time and snapping the six race win streak of Miss You N (Jeremy Smith).

The outcome of the Mares Open at Dayton on Friday (Dec, 4) wasn’t decided until the wire was reached in 1:51.2 and the photo finish camera determined The Bethinator had won by a nose.

The Bethinator noses out Miss You N in the final stride to capture Hollywood Dayton’s $16,700 Mares Open in 1:51.2. Conrad photo

Both top fillies left the gate with alacrity. The Bethinator got to the top an eighth of a mile into the fray, with Miss You N in hot pursuit until finally grabbing the lead just before the :27 first quarter timer was tripped. The Bethinator was content to sit the pocket through middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:23.1 before angling out at the head of the stretch to engage Miss You N in a thrilling duel to the finish wire. It’s Time For Fun, with Kyle Wilfong aboard, garnered the show dough in her initial voyage over Dayton’s quick five-eighths mile oval.

The winner, a 3-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, won for the 11th time in her first two years of racing. The victory pushed her over the $100,000 earnings plateau. Veteran trainer Nelson Willis took over the training duties for owner Megan Rogers Racing Stable two months ago and she has shown continual improvement under his tutelage.

Racing resumes on Saturday (Dec. 5) at Hollywood Dayton with the new weekend post time of 4 p.m.