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Wednesday’s (Oct. 30) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Layoff doesn’t bother V’La Faire in Batavia Downs feature

Batavia, NY — It’s been more than a month since V’La Faire ($17.40) was last seen in a pari-mutuel race at Batavia Downs but the layoff didn’t matter as she took the $8,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace Wednesday night in 1:55.

Paul White photo

V’La Faire (#3) got up in the final stride to win the Wednesday night feature at Batavia Downs.

Drafting behind Artsy Princess (Kevin Cummings) for most of the mile, V’La Faire (Ron Beback, Jr.) showed plenty of heart down the stretch and then caught the pacesetter in the shadow of the wire, winning by a head. Artsy Princess did the dirty work, setting the fractions of :28, :57.3 and 1:25.4 but came up a disappointing stride short to V’La Faire. Notreadytobenice (Ray Fisher, Jr.) took third.

It was the fifth win in 18 starts for V’La Faire (Village Jove-Trade Fair) this season. The 6-year-old mare is owned by Oakhurst Farms and has earned $46,360 in 2013 and $175,586 lifetime. Richard Tomaszewski conditioned the winner.

It was bombs away in the first race as Just A Bee (Kevin Cummings) took the opener and returned $109 for the victory. It was the front half of a $520 early daily double as Highway Cash ($5.90) took the second race.

The season continues on Friday night with a 12-race card scheduled with first post slated for 6:30 p.m. The $8,500 Open Trot will be contested in the sixth race where the mare Mystical Escapade looks for her third straight victory in the Open Trot and will score from the eight post for driver Greg Merton.

— Brian J. Mazurek

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Natural Woman N (Badlands Hanover) broke the track record for 12-year-old pacing mares at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Wednesday night. John MacDonald owns and drives the mare who came to town off of a win at Vernon Downs. MacDonald sat patiently with the classy mare before cutting her loose late. She had enough to reel in Everymileamemory (Jordan Derue), who finished second, before stopping the timer in 1:56.3. That win time bested recently-inducted Saratoga Hall of Famer Tye Dye’s mark of 1:57.1 for 12-year-old mares set in 2007. Natural Woman N’s record-setting victory came in the $4,385 pace for claiming mares and at odds of 9-2.