by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ —Trainer Jim Dailey saw both Igottafeelinfran and Native Dream beat older horses when they were 3-year-olds. Now he hopes they can handle the transition as 4-year-olds racing against older foes on a regular basis.

Igottafeelinfran and Native Dream are among the seven horses entered in Saturday’s (May 17) $50,000 Laverne Hill Memorial for female pacers at Scioto Downs. Igottafeelinfran, who starts from post two with driver Dan Noble, is the 3-1 second choice behind 9-5 morning line favorite Camille.

The remainder of the field is Radar Contact, So Long My Love, She’s Shocking, and Bettor Think Twice.

“My horses raced against older mares at 3 and they showed they could go with them,” said Dailey, an Ohio native who has three wins in nine Scioto Downs starts this season. “I hope that’s the case again this year. It can be tough on 4-year-olds going against the older horses, but I think they should be good. I kept them both for open pacers.”

JJ Zamaiko photo

Igottafeelinfran has banked $274,781 in her career.

Igottafeelinfran has won one of seven races this year and 11 of 31 lifetime for owners Jerry Zosel, Kathy Ratcliff and Kimberly Dailey. Bred by Zosel and Ratcliff, she was the Ohio Sire Stakes champion as a 3-year-old.

Native Dream, owned by Pacey Mindlin and Kenneth Cohen, has won 10 of 24 career starts and finished third in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship at age 3. Her wins last year included a sire stakes triumph over former Dan Patch Award-winner Somwherovrarainbow and an Open victory over tough older mare Up Front Kellie Jo at Scioto.

She finished second to She’s Shocking in her 2014 debut on May 9 at Scioto.

“Fran is probably sharper right now because she’s raced more this year,” Dailey said. “But Native Dream faced some of the top horses last year in Pennsylvania. I don’t know which one is better because they’ve never raced against each other. I like them both.

“This race was at home and I thought it might have a short field, so we gave them both a shot at it.”

Six-year-old Camille is 0-for-7 this year, but is a multiple-stakes winner with $1.03 million in lifetime earnings for trainer Ron Burke. Radar Contact, another 6-year-old, is a multiple Indiana Sire Stakes champ and winner of $664,705 in her career for trainer Buddy Stillings.