by Dan Conway, USTA Web Newsroom Correspondant

When this seven horse field left the gate and headed into the first turn the stage was being set for a big payoff. Rompaway Stacey was the favorite and going to the front in the hands of Don Harmon. Eric Goodell also left aggressively with Honor The Cash from the inside post. The race was the $9,500 Open Handicap Trot on Thursday night at Northville Downs.

As Rompaway Stacey came out of the first turn and headed down the backstretch she began to pull up because of broken equipment. This caused Honor The Cash to break stride and also caused Bueno Sahbra to be checked for a moment by her driver Greg Bateson. In all this confusion at the :29¹ quarter, Bateson cleared Bueno Sahbra to the front and the longshot in the field took command.

Bueno Sahbra, by Striking Sahbra, out of Star Anise, had finished up the track in her last two starts at Northville Downs, but before that she had an impressive victory at Raceway Park against lesser company.

Heading around the second turn, Bueno Sahbra was followed by Kandy’s LC, driven by Darrell Wright. Also Hollywood Joe, a recent favorite in the Open, was now starting to move up on the outside in the hands of Mark Webster.

Trotting in front of the grandstand, Hollywood Joe moved up to third on the outside followed by Buckeye Begonia and Wally McIlmurray, Jr. They had been assigned the outside position in this seven horse field and were real contenders, having finished second in this class last time out. Bueno Sahbra continued to cruise along to the half in 1:00 followed by Kandy’s LC with Hollywood Joe still third on the outside.

Bueno Sahbra had captured eight out of 16 and over $41,000 last season. She knew how to find the winner’s circle, and this was starting to look like her race, her first win in three starts this season.

Bateson took his four-year-old around the clubhouse turn, leaving Hollywood Joe to hang a couple lengths back to third on the outside. Kandy’s LC enjoyed a garden trip.

Approaching the 1:30⁴ three-quarters, Bueno Sahbra had plenty of trot and Hollywood Joe was not making up any distance. Around the final turn, Hollywood Joe had had enough and started to fade out of contention.

Entering the stretch it was a three horse race between Bueno Sahbra, Kandy’s LC, who was now seeing some racing room, and Y F Inspiration, driven by Jeff Young. They had been hanging out behind Kandy’s LC throughout the race and they also now saw a little light.

It was a good race down the stretch, with Bueno Sahbra holding a length lead against both Kandy’s LC and Y F Inspiration. At the wire she was a length ahead of Y F Inspiration, with Kandy’s LC another half length back in third. The time of the mile was 2:02¹ on a very cold evening. She paid $65.80!

Bueno Sahbra is owned by Amy Miller and trained by Greg Bateson. She now sports lifetime earnings of $104,384.