Despite being parked every step of the mile, Sweetheart Dance captured Thursday's $12,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap at Northfield Park.
Trained by Kent Sherman and driven by Dan Rawlings, Sweetheart Dance started from the outside and was parked through fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:24.4. The daughter of Yankee Cruiser-Somkindasweetypie struck the lead at the top of the stretch and bested her competition by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4. Ride A Cowboy was second, with Eradikate finishing third.
Keith Pippi of Pittsburgh, PA owns the distaffer who won for the fifth time this season from 13 trips behind the starting gate. The win was the 17th of her career and it pushed her lifetime earnings to $193,491. She returned $20.80 to win.
(Northfield Park)