by Kyle Fitzgerald, for Colonial Downs

New Kent, VA — Penn Tag completed a clean sweep of the Todd Parker Memorial late closing series with a win in the $15,600 Final on Sunday afternoon (October 7) at Colonial Downs.

Penn Tag won her divisions of the first three legs by a combined 20-3/4 lengths, easing off the gate to sit third for the opening quarter before contemptuously sweeping to the lead entering the turn in all three victories.

Sunday’s final unfolded in nearly identical fashion down the backstretch. Penn Tag was fourth in the early stages as Self Made Woman out sprinted Dusty Winner to lead through a quarter in :26.3. Driver John Wagner sent Penn Tag to the lead after the quarter and the 3-year-old Tagliabue filly was comfortably ensconced on the lead when the field hit the turn after a half in :56.

Penn Tag maintained a 1-1/4 length lead over Self Made Woman around the turn with Dusty Winner tracking along on the rail in third. Dusty Winner broke stride at the top of the stretch to remove himself from contention, but Penn Tag could not shake Self Made Woman.

Self Made Woman made Penn Tag work much harder down the lane than she had to in the blowout early leg scores, but Penn Tag accepted the challenge, holding that rival at bay by a length while trotting to a new lifetime mark of 1:54.3. Dusty Lane Selfish was along for third, another 2-1/4 lengths back.

Penn Tag has now won four straight at Colonial and 13 of 29 lifetime for trainer Manley Brown, Jr. and owners Scott Woogen and Michael J. Ternisky.

Sunday’s 11-race card also featured a track and world record-smashing mile from Delft N, a 1:53 clocking that lopped a full second off the older gelding trotter mark he had tied on September 29. Jim Marohn, Jr. drove Delft N to his third straight win. Virgil Morgan, Jr. trains the 9-year-old Sondon gelding for owner Joseph Muscara.