Killer Instinct and Winning Shadow have been trading punches over the past couple of weeks, but Winning Shadow got the upper hand on his foe in Sunday’s (March 5) $18,500 Open Handicap Trot.
Longshot Big Bad Caviar (Jason Thompson) timed the gate perfectly, making the lead through the first turn in front of Predator And Prey (Kurt Sugg) and Mission Accepted (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.). Getting to the quarter in a hot :26.3, Thompson braced for the challenge of Mission Accepted into the second turn. Thompson continued to allow Big Bad Caviar to put up big fractions, getting to the half in :54.4.
Heading into the backstretch, Big Bad Caviar put away the favourite Mission Accepted, but a host of others were in hot pursuit following the torrid fractions put up by the leader. Heading to three-quarters in 1:23.2, Chris Lems flipped Winning Shadow three-wide around the tiring favourite and was followed by Perlucky (Billy Davis Jr.), who looked poised to strike around the final turn.
It appeared Big Bad Caviar could hold off his rivals through the stretch. Still, he wavered in the final 50 yards, with Winning Shadow working past the longshot leader, winning by a half-length in 1:54. Killer Instinct (Hunter Myers), who was last turning for home, somehow managed to pick his way through the pack to be second. Loose leader Big Bad Caviar dug in for third.
The victory on Sunday gave Winning Shadow his 58th win and pushed him to $818,676 in career earnings for owner Racing To Win Stable and trainer Jordan Hope.
Makin Some Noise did just that in the co-featured $18,500 Open Pace on Sunday night, returning to the winner's circle for the first time since early January.
Kurt Sugg wasted no time sending Makin Some Noise to the lead in the contest's early stages, clearing Bernie (Ryan Stahl) and Elliott Moose (Luke Ebersole) through the first turn. Makin Some Noise finally cleared Bernie for the lead at the quarter in :27.1. Sugg didn’t take his foot off the gas pedal at that point, getting to the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.3; no one was advancing on the leading trio. Turning for home, Ebersole sent Elliott Moose to the outside to take a shot at the leader but came up three-quarters of a length shy, with Makin Some Noise winning in 1:51.1. Bernie was third.
Earning a mark of 1:48.4 at Scioto Downs in his four-year-old season, the son of Always B Miki, has now earned $205,415 for owner Rebecca Sugg and trainer Edward Miller. It was his 15th victory in 37 starts.
Live racing resumes on Tuesday evening (March 7) at 6 p.m. (EST). MGM Northfield Park currently races on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
(Northfield Park)