Lebanon, OH — Add Betterluvnexttime to the growing list of talented mares who have won Miami Valley Raceway’s featured distaff open during the first ten weeks of the 2015 meet. The 7-year-old American Ideal mare, driven by leading driver Josh Sutton, copped the $16,500 event on Friday night (March 13) by topping Carlina Hanover (Tyler Smith) and Artie’s Last Party (Jeff Nisonger) in 1:53.2 over a rain-soaked sloppy strip.

Conrad photo

Betterluvnexttime holds off Carlina Hanover to capture the $16,500 Miami Valley mares open over a sloppy track on Friday night.

Recent winners Rev Me Up, Shine N Shimmer and Igottafeelinfran mixed it up early with the former tripping the first quarter beam in :26.4. By the :56.2 halfway station Igottafeelinfran was lapped on the pacesetter’s wheel with Shine N Shimmer riding tight in the pocket. The mares that eventually completed the winning trifecta sat second, third and fourth-over in the outer flow throughout the second half of the mile which included a 1:24.1 third quarter clocking.

Daniel Mitchell owns Betterluvnexttime, who won for the 40th time in her 99th career start, boosting her lifetime bounty to $481,125. Virgil Morgan Jr. conditions the winner, who became the eighth different winner to capture a Fillies and Mares Open thus far this year at Miami Valley.

— Miami Valley Raceway

Yonkers Raceway
Rockaround Sue (Jason Bartlett, $31), coming off a trio of non-descript efforts, bottomed out her foes Friday (Mar. 13) night in winning Yonkers Raceway’s $35,000 featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace. In play from post position three, Rockaround Sue had to wait her turn as Rd Iou (Tyler Buter) and Palm Patrol (Mark MacDonald) both left inside of her. Rockaround Sue worked around Palm Patrol, making the lead just after a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. All the while, eight-hole assignee Sayitall BB (George Brennan), as the 13-10 favorite, left into the five-hole. It was a :56.4 intermission before Sayitall BB moved again, and as good as she was in winning her seasonal debut a week ago, she was that ugly here. Sayitall BB never came close to the leader, who widened passing a 1:25 three-quarters. Rockaround Sue opened to 3-1/2 lengths in and out of the final turn, then held off a shaking-free Rd Iou by a length in 1:53.2. Marathon Day (Eric Carslon), racing last-over, rallied from last to snap third, with Palm Patrol and Handsoffmycookie (Dan Dube) completing the cashers. Sayitall BB finished last, beaten nearly seven lengths. For seventh choice Rockaround Sue, a 6-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover co-owned by Bamond Racing and Silva Stables and trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr., it was her first board finish in four seasonal starts. The exacta paid $174.50, with the triple returning $980.

The Meadows
Fashion Rocker had to survive an inquiry to do so, but she captured her second straight in the Donna Dunn Memorial Pace at The Meadows. Dream Ball scored in a career-best 1:53.2 to take Friday’s (Mar 13) other $15,000 split in the second leg of the series for 3- and 4-year-old fillies and mares. Dave Palone and trainer Ron Burke teamed to sweep Friday’s series leg, and that’s not all the duo accomplished. Palone won five consecutive races, beginning with race four, and he completed the 12-race card with six victories — four for Burke. Palone drove seven straight winners at The Meadows on March 2, 1993, while the North American record for consecutive victories on a single raceway program is eight. After a first-over move, Fashion Rocker eased by Skyway Hurricane in the stretch to down her by a head in 1:55.3, with Littlewhitekiddie third. After reviewing the stretch drive for possible interference, the judges left the order undisturbed. In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Not Listed Preferred/Preferred Handicap Pace, Do Me Honor wore down Continual Velocity and defeated her by a neck in 1:53.1 for Aaron Merriman and owner/trainer Bill Bercury. Macharoundtheclock earned show. The 7-year-old daughter of Cheyenne Rei-Do Me Right extended her career bankroll to $548,047.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Justice Boy (Justice Hall) completed the second half of back to back victories on the Friday (Mar. 13) night program for trainer Rob Harmon at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Yonkers invader Justice Boy drew post position eight for his local debut but driver Bruce Aldrich Jr had no trouble making the early lead with the 4-year-old trotter. Once they got there, they would never face a challenge before drawing away to a convincing score in 1:58.3 highlighted by a final half in 58.1. Justice Boy’s victory came in the $8,300 co-featured trotting race on the card. His stablemate Always As Fast (Always A Virgin) was the public’s 1-9 betting favorite but made his backers sweat early as he made a break after the start. After landing in seventh, the Harmon-trained Always As Fast made a big move in the final half and wound up avenging his early break to prevail in 1:58.2. Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga with a first post time of 6:45pm.