by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — For the past three weeks Casino Miss and Natural Woman N have been the ones to beat in the weekly $15,000 distaff pacing feature at Monticello Raceway. However, no one has seemed to be able to do it.

On February 20, Casino Miss was victorious while Natural Woman N finished third, and then the following week it was Natural Woman N who triumphed as Casino Miss finished fourth. But on Tuesday, March 5, Casino Miss avenged her defeat last week by the foreign-bred mare and scored a gate-to-wire triumph in a 1:57 clocking, as the fast closing Natural Woman N had to settle for second money.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Casino Miss rebuffs Natural Woman N to win the $15,000 distaff feature.

With the absence of regular driver Stephane Bouchard, trainer Tim Case handed the lines to Eric Goodell, who sent Casino Miss to the lead from post position two. After taking command, Casino Miss made every pole a winning one, though in the deep stretch Goodell had to get after her a bit. The mare responded and rebuffed the late challenge from her recent arch-rival Natural Woman N and went on to score a one length triumph.

With her victory Casino Miss has already equaled her 2006 output and now has three wins and one second in seven seasonal starts. She’s owned by Dean Davis and James Snyder of Wooster, Ohio. Sent off as the odds-on favorite in the race, the 7-year-old daughter of Cam’s Card Shark paid $3.80 for win.

For Goodell it was one of three victories on the card that afternoon. He also scored with Bob Schreisbeis’s Bay Stroller (2:02.1) in the ninth and with Lennie Segall’s FD White Diamonds (2:03) in the 12th.

Goodell, who moved in from Michigan a couple of months ago to try his luck and take advantage of the huge purses fueled by the VGMs, is doing just that. He is currently third on the Monticello Raceway leaderboard in races won (49) and is also among the leading drivers at Yonkers Raceway.