Hungry Tigress adds Polytrack to resume with Wishing Well victory

Hungry Tigress is now officially a winner on all three major types of racing surfaces. Having already scored on turf and dirt, she added a synthetic victory to her resume by gamely taking Saturday’s $50,000 Wishing Well Stakes over Turfway’s Polytrack by a head over Minewander.

More aggressive than in her last two starts, Hungry Tigress stalked the pace in fourth early under John McKee, as favorites Sweet Gladys and War Kill set a pressured opening quarter-mile in 23.07 seconds over a tiring track. As the field reached the turn of the six-furlong race, the leaders, racing at least several paths off the rail, began to weaken and Minewander, who had raced in midpack early, surged up the inside to take command with a half mile in 47.37 seconds.

But Hungry Tigress, racing four to five paths wide, began to reel in the ground-saving Minewander and steadily wore her down with an outside rally over what was seemingly the best part of the racetrack.

A 6-year-old daughter of Hold That Tiger trained by meet leader Bill Connelly and owned by Bernard Schaeffer, Hungry Tigress raced six furlongs in 1:12.96. She paid $17.40.

The Wishing Well marked the second stakes victory for Hungry Tigress, who won the Summer Finale Stakes at Mountaineer in September of 2009.

Minewander fought bravely in defeat, finishing 5 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Coastal Solace, who edged Jonmil’s Edge by in a photo for the show.

War Kill, the 2009 Beaumont winner, faded badly in the stretch to run ninth as the 9-5 favorite.