by Keith Gisser, assistant publicity director, Northfield Park

Ray Fisher, Jr., drove four winners on Friday’s Northfield card, but none was bigger than his gate-to-wire win with Kent Sherman’s Anita Rush in the $8,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace.

After being parked to the 27.2 quarter call by Sharon’s Future, the five-year-old Perfect Art daughter cruised through fractions of 56.3 and 1:26.1 en route to the 1:55.1 win, fastest of the year for a distaff pacer. Dynastar made a three-wide rally at the three-quarters, but was thwarted in her bid for the place spot when Polo Jenn followed her cover three-deep and made a run at the winner in the stretch, coming up just a neck short. Anita Rush won for the 2nd time in six starts this year and pushed her career earnings to $180,201.

The win was one of four for Fisher, who also took the 3rd race with John Allen’s Hannah’s Dragon; the 11th with Odessa Angus and the 14th with Explore. All three are trained by Sean Gilbraith. He holds title to Odessa Angus, while John Allen, Jr., of Stow, Ohio, owns the other pair.

Aaron Merriman also posted four wins Friday, winning the 2nd race trot with John Oliverio’s Changing Lanes; the 8th with the Kelly O’donnell-trained, Ed Mullinax owned Up Front Lady; the 10th with Bacon Hill Dannie, a 10-1 upsetter for trainer Jodi Schillaci and the Caliente Cab Stable of Bedford, New York; and took the 14th with Broadway Ashley, a mare he owns and trains.