by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Last Monday, April 16, at Monticello Raceway in the track’s $14,300 Mares Preferred Handicap Pace, Casino Miss tasted defeat at the hands of My Fine Lady over a muddy racetrack in a time of 1:59.

However, on Monday, April 23, Casino Miss avenged that loss and turned the tables on My Fine Lady, emerging victorious in a 1:55.3 clocking in the weekly feature for distaff pacers.

Last week, driver Stephane Bouchard had Casino Miss on the front-end, but in the final strides she tired and finished third in a tight three-horse photo in which My Fine Lady was declared the winner.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Casino Miss won the Mares Preferred Pace on Monday.

This time Bouchard again had Casino Miss on the lead, but he took no chances. He kept the pedal to the metal and opened up daylight between them and the rest of the field, and though she tired in the final strides, she had enough of a lead to survive by two lengths over My Fine Lady.

Bouchard fired Casino Miss to the lead and gained command immediately from post position two and she had three lengths on My Fine Lady at the quarter pole in :28. That lead was diminished to a just a neck at the half mile-marker when Born Lucky (Larry Stalbaum) challenged on the outside as the timer flashed :56.2. But favored Born Lucky’s quest for her 11th win of the season was quickly quelled as Casino Miss sped off and passed the three-quarters in 1:24.3, increasing her lead to five lengths. She had six lengths on the field at the top of the lane and coasted to the two length triumph in a seasonal best of 1:55.3. My Fine Lady (Jimmy Devaux) finished second and Lady Coyote (Bruce Aldrich, Jr.) was third.

“I knew she (Casino Miss) was going to tire a little at the finish so I wanted to make sure we had a big lead before she did,” Bouchard said. “I think if we didn’t have that big lead she might have got beat.”

It was the fourth victory of the season for the 7-year-old daughter of Cam’s Card Shark, who raised her seasonal bankroll to $43,766 and now has lifetime earnings in excess of $420,000.

Casino Miss is owned by Dean Davis and James Snyder and trained by Mark Ford. Sent off as the third choice in the six-horse field, she paid $37.30 for win.