by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

East Rutherford, NJ — There were two fillies alone at the wire and it took a photo to determine that Broadway Donna was the winner by a nose in the $389,450 Jim Doherty Memorial Trot for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday (Aug. 8) at The Meadowlands.

The race was formerly known as the Merrie Annabelle and was renamed this year for the late Hall of Fame trainer who made The Meadowlands his home base.

Lisa Photo

Broadway Donna was the winner by a nose in the $389,450 Jim Doherty Memorial Trot for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday at The Meadowlands.

Broadway Donna was driven by David Miller for trainer Jim Campbell and owner/breeder Fashion Farms. Her sire, Donato Hanover is a Hambletonian winner and her dam, Broadway Schooner is a Hambletonian Oaks winner. The caretaker of Broadway Donna is Walter Teat, who also cared for Broadway Schooner and her dam, Pine Schooner.

The 1-9 favorite, Broadway Donna raced off the pace set by early leaders Kathy Parker (Johnny Takter) and Sunset Glider (Yannick Gingras). They hit the quarter-mile mark in :27.3. Celebrity Eventsy (Brett Miller) made a break right around the quarter-mile marker, which put some ground behind those leaders and the rest of the field.

Broadway Donna rushed up to the lead just past the :56.4 half-mile marker and was still on top at the 1:25 three-quarters. As they turned for home, Kathy Parker and Johnny Takter had room to make up ground along the rail and they moved alongside Broadway Donna for the final strides to the wire. Broadway Donna held off that late charge for the win by a nose in 1:54.2. Sunset Glider finished third.

The victory was Broadway Donna’s sixth straight to begin her career. She has purse earnings of $274,941.

“He (the late Jim Doherty) was a very good friend and a great horseman,” said winning trainer Jim Campbell. “He was a gentleman. If you bumped into him 10 times in a day he would say hello to you 10 times. For me, when I first came to the Meadowlands, he was someone I looked up to. He had a powerful stable and he knew how to do things right and he continued that right on to the end. He was a first-class man. I’m glad I got to know him the way I did.

“She (Broadway Donna) fought off the horse (Kathy Parker) that was coming on hard on the inside. She’s done everything we’ve asked of her. That was her sixth start today. She did it easier last week, but she dug in when she had to and got the job done. That’s the main thing.”