by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Dover, DE — With $157,177 in the bank just months into her sophomore season, pacing filly Inittowinafortune appears to be on her way to doing just that.

Inittowinafortune, a daughter of Cams Fortune-Cuzurinittowinit, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in Monday’s (April 8) $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final for 3-year-old pacing fillies. She will start from post two for driver Tim Tetrick.

“All the better ones drew outside,” co-owner and trainer Daryl Bier said. “I think she’s the best.”

It’s no surprise Bier is confident in his filly, as her resume already includes two $100,000 DSBF wins as a 2-year-old.

“She’s a nice filly,” he said.

Fotowon photo

Inittowinafortune was a neck winner over Blush With Pride in their $20,000 DSBF leg on April 1 at Dover Downs.

Bred in Illinois by Jerald Viviani and Sue Phillips, Bier and Florida owner Charles Dombeck bought Inittowinafortune last August after seeing her listed on the internet for sale for $25,000. After having a friend in the Land of Lincoln look her over, they purchased the filly with Delaware’s lucrative stakes program in mind. The First State offers two $20,000 eliminations and a $100,000 race twice each year for both 2- and 3-year-olds through the DSBF program.

Bier, who has raced in stakes throughout the country, says that Delaware, with its affordable nomination fees and exciting $100,000 races, is a great deal.

“They’re great races,” Bier said. “It’s a very good program.”

Bier was pleased with his Midwestern import from the start. After breaking her maiden in 1:56.4 on July 25 at Balmoral Park, Inittowinafortune won her first start for Bier, a baby race at Harrington Raceway, easily in 1:57.4. She went on to win six of her remaining eight starts as a 2-year-old, including two $100,000 DSBF finals. She took her lifetime mark of 1:54.3f at Dover Downs on Dec. 4 in a $20,000 DSBF leg.

Although she failed to win her only conditioned race last fall, finishing second in a non-winners of five company at Dover Downs, Bier considers it one of the most impressive races of her career. She got off third for Tetrick, before making a move at the three-quarter pole to finish second, pacing her mile in 1:53.2.

“I was pretty impressed,” said Bier, who with a 2013 UTR of .507, trains his share of nice horses. In addition to Inittowinafortune, his 10 horse stable currently includes Shopping With Art and Modern Family.

From just two pari-mutuel starts in 2013, Inittowinafortune boasts a win and a second. She finished a nose behind fellow 3-year-old DSBF contender Blush With Pride in her first start on March 25 but held her off the following week, equaling her lifetime mark of 1:54.3f.

Bier calls Inittowinafortune a “very classy filly” who doesn’t do anything wrong. The only characteristic of note might be her short hopple size, which this year was increased to 53 inches.

“She wears probably the smallest hopples I’ve ever used,” Bier said, adding that the filly was not particularly small in stature.

Bier says Inittowinafortune is an easy keeper but also credits groom Brad Sawyer for his work with the filly.

“He and her get along good,” he said. “He’s done a great job with her.”

Bier says Inittowinafortune will continue racing in Delaware throughout the rest of the year, as after Monday’s final there will be another round of stakes at Harrington Raceway this summer.