Northville, MI — Bet Mine (Betting Line-Pleasant Yet Bad) with leading driver Kody Massey in tow, set the newest all-time track record at Northville Downs at Barry Expo Center while also establishing a new record for an aged pacing horse on Wednesday (Sept. 3).
Just as the rain started to fall from a line of storms moving into the area off of Lake Michigan, driver Kody Massey powered the seven-year-old horse (Bet Mine) to the front from post position seven. With each pylon they passed, Bet Mine opened up a bit more ground on the loose pocket sitter Admiral Adam (K. Pluta), putting up fractions of :28.2, :57.4 (:29.2), 1:26.2 (:28.3), and a final clocking of 1:56 with a final quarter-mile in 29.3. In the end, Bet Mine won by a five-length margin over Admiral Adam.
Bet Mine is owned by Robert Silberberg and trained by James Eaton. The win marked the second victory in a row for Bet Mine, who shipped in from Hoosier Park, where he set his lifetime mark as a five-year-old in 1:50.1. With the win, Bet Mine’s lifetime earnings grew to $308,949, and he now tallies 25 lifetime wins.
In the final race on the program, a rain soaked track listed as sloppy did not stop Kamari Blu (Captaintreacherous – Hen Party) from setting a new track record for a three-year-old pacing filly. Driver/trainer Daryl Bontrager took Kamari Blu back early off of the pace, getting away in sixth, some 9 lengths back at the quarter pole.
As the race unfolded, Kamari Blu was able to slide up the pegs as horses moved off the rail, but as they arrived at the three-quarter pole, Bontrager guided Kamari Blu outside and when they came through the stretch, Kamari Blu flew past the tiring horses while in the four path to win by a half-length in a final clocking of 2:00 which established the new record. Kamari Blu, who nabbed her fifth career score and also shipped in from Hoosier Park, is owned by Levi Schmucker.
Special note of the day- Catch Me Conrad (Tellitlikeitis–Envy) won for the 70th time in his career in winning the Open Handicap for male pacers in coast-to-coast fashion by three and a half lengths in a time of 1:57.2. He is owned and trained by Greg Cook, who enjoyed his 72nd birthday as well Wednesday.
Driver Kody Massey led all drivers with 3 victories on the afternoon and Kim Pluta enjoyed two wins.
Racing at Northville Downs at Barry Expo Center in Hastings, MI returns next Wednesday (Sept 10) with a first post time of 1:00 p.m.