Four-year-old trotting mares blew up the toteboard at Miami Valley on Tuesday (March 9) in the $25,000 championship leg of the Ray Paver Sr. Memorial Series.
Miss Smead was the first to reach the wire in 1:55.3. The daughter of Guccio was followed across the line by fellow four-year-old mares Susie D, Swan Fashion, Just For Us and Deswanslittlelorie. The series was open to trotters of either sex that were non-winners of four races or $40,000 lifetime at the nomination deadline.
Driver Don Eash also owns and trains Miss Smead, who was winning for the third time in 2021 and increased her career earnings to $62,284. Miss Smead returned a $17 win mutual and combined with Susie D kicked back a $189.80 exacta. Swan Fashion completed a 50-cent trifecta worth $424.05; while a 10-cent superfecta with Just For Us paid a whopping $409.68.
The field for the $25,000 championship of the Howard Beissinger Memorial Medley Trot is set, and it promises to be quite a contentious affair at the added distance of 1-1/4 miles.
Beissinger, a Hall Of Fame trainer-driver, won three Hambletonians and maintained his base of operations in Hamilton, Ohio less than ten miles from Miami Valley Raceway throughout his illustrious career.
Shake It Mary (Dan Noble) extended her win streak to four at Miami Valley with a 1:57 score in the first of two divisions on Friday (Feb 12) at one mile. The classy five-year-old daughter of Dontyouforgetit, trained by Sherif Cunmulaj for the Rushcreek Stables, surpassed the $150,000 earnings plateau with her 20th career triumph. She beat favoured Compelling (LeWayne Miller) and Lets Go Bucks (Jeremy Smith) by about a length. Majestic Brayden also advanced from this split to the final with a pair of fifth place finishes in preliminary legs.