Buffalo Raceway: Barn Bella suffers her first loss of 2017

Three-year-old trotting filly Barn Bella came into her New York Sire Stakes division Sunday at Buffalo Raceway undefeated on the season, but she couldn't navigate the first turn at the tricky half-miler, leading to an upset victory by Mamora Bay.

Barn Bella (Jeff Gregory), who won the rich Empire Breeders Classic final last Sunday at Vernon Downs in 1:51 3/5, got away clean from post four in the $58,000 event, but she wound up three-wide outside of Maewegonow (Charlie Norris) and Mamora Bay (Sam Schillaci) on the opening bend, and the 1-20 favorite couldn't get through that situation without making a mistake, taking her out of contention for the remainder of the contest.

Maewegonow would go on to lead through stations of 30, 1:01, and 1:31 2/5, but Mamora Bay rallied in the passing lane after a pocket trip to win by a length and a quarter in 1:59 4/5. Maewegonow wound up second and Mighty Surf (Jim Morrill Jr.) came in third.

Mamora Bay is a Chapter Seven filly trained by Schillaci for owner Peter Barbato. A five-time winner in New York Sire Stakes prelims last year before finishing second to Barn Bella in the final, Mamora Bay won for the first time in 2017 and pushed her lifetime earnings to $223,804. The 9-1 second choice, Mamora Bay paid $20.60 to win.

The other $59,100 split played out almost exactly the same as the first one as the 3-5 public choice Amber Ella (Jason Bartlett) ran in the first turn while on the lead. With her out of the picture, Heels On Wheels (Morrill Jr.) made front, chopped out fractions of 29 3/5, 59 1/5, and 1:30, and held on in the lane to defeat Chapter Too (Gregory), who rallied after a two-hole trip, by a neck in a 1:59 4/5 effort. Deli-Delite (Drew Monti) checked in the third spot.

Ron Burke trains Heels On Wheels, a daughter of Conway Hall, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Crawford Farms Racing, Larry Karr, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. She is now a four-time winner in her career, and she has banked $139,113. Heels On Wheels was the 7-2 second choice behind Amber Ella and returned $9.10 to win.