from Hollywood Dayton Raceway
Dayton, OH — It had been three weeks since Churita last raced, but the layoff didn’t seem to bother her a bit. Churita, a lightly raced 5-year-old Airzoom Lindy mare, bested the best male trotters in southern Ohio for the second straight time at Hollywood Dayton Raceway on Thursday night (Dec. 14).
In just her 20th start of the year, the Indiana champion trotted past a full field of open trotters for trainer/driver Matt Rheinheimer to garner her half of the $18,500 purse with a winning 1:55.3 mile.
Holton photo
Churita, the classymare who races best when rested, captured the Open Trot at Hollywood Daytonagain on Thursday, passing Mugshot Man in the final strides.
Rheinheimer ducked his prize mare off the gate, getting away last from the outermost post position. He probably felt his goose was cooked when he saw pedestrian fractions of :28.2 and :58 put up by pacesetter Fantasy League (Tyler Smith), who eventually finished third.
Churita was at the back of the double-tiered field at the half, but swung three-wide and was moved up to fifth at the 1:26.2 three-quarter mile marker.
With the quickest final split of all, however, she picked up adversaries one at a time through the stretch to prevail.
Dispatched at 9-2 odds, Churita returned $11.60 to her backers while the exacta with runnerup Mugshot Man (Kyle Ater) kicked back $66.60.
It was the ninth victory of the season for Churita and raised her 2017 bankroll to $148,518. Career-wise the winner has earned $771,710 in just 66 starts, a very impressive $11,693 lifetime average per start. She Is owned by Porterproffesionalservice of Michigan.