Meadowlands: Divas Image rallies, upsets in Golden Girls

Divas Image, sent off at 31-1, rallied gamely from well off-the-pace to post a major upset in the $189,750 Golden Girls at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. Part-owned and driven by Joe Bongiorno the 5-year-old daughter of Bettor's Delight collared heavy favorite Shartin N near the wire in a 2:03 1/5 clocking for the mile and one-eighth distance.

The Golden Girls saw a similar pattern develop as heavy favorite Shartin N was looped leaving, but then drove to the front at the 25 2/5 opening quarter. Driver Tim Tetrick controlled a fast pace for the New Zealand-imported mare as she cut fractions of 53 1/5 and 1:21 3/5 with L A Delight sitting in the pocket and Blue Moon Stride tagging along in third. With the hot pace, the outer flow was having trouble with only Caviart Ally gaining without cover.

On the final turn Caviart Ally had gotten to the wheel of Shartin N, and with a gap in the cover behind Caviart Ally, Blue Moon Stride was able to slip out to follow the flow. L A Delight lacked clearance as Shartin N held on to a slim lead through the 1:49 mile.

In the extra eighth is when the action got hot and heavy as horses fanned wide on the outside and holes opened on the inside. Bongiorno followed the classy Pure Country wide into the stretch, he edged his mare wider in midstretch, and she took off. Divas Image flew the final eighth to capture the race, with Inverse Hanover slipping between horses late and getting the place spot. Pure Country was closing as well for third, with the favorite tiring and holding fourth.

Bongiorno owns the mare in partnership with Taylor, Lazzaro and the J & T Silva Stable. Jennifer Bongiorno, who last year was employed by the Meadowlands, trains Divas Image. With the heavy favorite going down, Divas Image paid $65.60 to win, and keyed a triple that returned $87,383.40 for a $2 ticket.

"I was a little concerned being out the whole way," said Bongiorno. "But when I pulled her in the stretch she just took off."