The ultra-consistent pacing mare Higher And Higher took her show on the road and persevered for trainer-driver Daryl Bier in a tight finish Friday night in the Meadowlands Racetrack's $25,000 Mares Preferred
.
Making her first start at the Meadowlands since competing in the 2010 Mistletoe Shalee, five-year-old mare Higher And Higher advanced to the top from fourth after the :27.1 opening quarter and maintained a two length lead on her foes as she cruised past middle panels of :56 and 1:24.4. The odds-on favourite carried her lead into the stretch, but a pair of late closers began to chip away at that margin. Cuz She Can (Yannick Gingras) was closing in from first over with Ginger And Fred (Dan Dube) three-wide and gaining ground. However, Higher And Higher found the wire just in time, scoring by a head in 1:53.1. Higher And Higher paid $3.40 to win. Ginger And Fred was second and Cuz She Can finished third.
The Western Terror-Pro Bowl Best mare was purchased by Bier, Glenn Del Russo, and Charles Dombeck after her sophomore campaign and put together a record reading 9-7-7 in 25 starts at four while banking $326,365. She is now two-for-two in 2012 after winning an Open at Dover Downs last week.
The lion's share of the purse pushed the 20-time career winner's earnings over the $800,000 mark.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Meadowlands Racetrack.