by Jim Beviglia, for Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Southwind Jazmin set a track record and matched a world record for 4-year-old pacing mares on a five-eighths-mile oval with her victory in 1:49.2 in the featured pace on Tuesday night (July 31) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

The race, a conditioned pace for mares who were non-winners of $30,000 in their last five starts, carried the night’s top purse of $21,000.

Leaving from post position five in a field of seven as the 3-5 favorite, Southwind Jazmin (Art Major-Juliet’s Fate) settled sixth early as Caviart Sarah cut out the opening quarter in :26.2. Driver Joe Pavia, Jr. sent the favorite to the outside in the front stretch and she made the lead at the half in :54.3. From there, she extended the lead with a blistering backstretch that had her at the three-quarters in 1:21.

In the stretch, Southwind Jazmin, owned by Rick Phillips and trained by Mark Harder, was never threatened and opened up to win by 6-1/2 lengths over Jamaica Hanover. Caviart Sarah finished third.

The winning time of 1:49.2 broke the 4-year-old Pocono track record of 1:49.3 set by U All BB in 2008. It also matched the 4-year-old mare world record of 1:49.2 held by Makerbark and Higher And Higher.

Southwind Jazmin won for the second time in 12 tries this year. It was her 13th career victory and her lifetime earnings now stand at $423,573.