Fly To The Angels was victorious in the $6,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace on Friday (July 26) in Northfield Park’s eighth race.
She is trained by Dean Eckley for Greenville, Michigan owner Britney Dillon. Eckley called upon Josh Sutton to drive the nine-year-old pacing mare.
Fly To The Angels (Sign Of Success-Score Big Hanover-Big Towner) started from post four. Sutton left off of the gate and quickly found a spot behind the leader. Fly To The Angels sat the perfect trip through fraction of :28, :57.1 and 1:26.2. She tipped into the passing lane in the stretch and bested her competition by half a length, stopping the clock at 1:55. Completing the race were Right On Ram, Miss Two Punch, Tame The Dame, Pantsuit Hilary, Shez Good Osborne, Longlegacy and Pebble Creek.
Friday’s win was the fourth victory in 2013 for Fly To The Angels, who now has 48 career successes and earnings of $192,476. She returned $5.80 to win.
Ryan Stahl drove five winners on the Friday card, including Do Ya Wanna Rumba ($3.80) in race five, Cruising Champette ($9.40) in race six, Becausewecam ($8.20) in race 11, Felicia Hall ($4.60) in race 12 and Moiras Bliss ($7.80) in race 13.
The 35-year-old reinsman began driving in 1994 and has since garnered 3,141 career victories and is approaching $10 million in purse earnings. Stahl is fourth in the Northfield Park 2013 driver standings. He has driven 123 winners this year at Northfield. Only Chris Page (187), Ronnie Wrenn Jr. (142) and Tyler Smith (124) have driven more Northfield winners this year than Stahl.
(With files from Northfield Park)