Miami Valley: Atlanta trounces field in Miami Valley Distaff in first appearance of 2019

It would have been difficult for last year's Hambletonian champion Atlanta to look any more impressive in her seasonal debut on Monday afternoon in the $100,000 Miami Valley Distaff for mare trotters at Miami Valley Raceway as she crushed the field easily in a track record clocking of 1:50 4/5.

Driven by Yannick Gingras, Atlanta made front from the outside post five before the 26 4/5 opening quarter, and the Gingras stole a big breather in the second quarter, getting to the half in just 55 4/5.

Atlanta began to open up on the field as they raced to the 1:23 three-quarters, and she continued to pour it on around the last turn and into the lane, winning by 7 3/4 lengths and missing the North American record for a 4-year-old mare trotter on a five-eighths mile track by just two-fifths of a second. Weslynn Dancer (Matt Kakaley), who was last at the half, got second, with Custom Cantab (Peter Wrenn) third. Churita (Trace Tetrick) and Red Rose Swan (Lewayne Miller) rounded out the order.

A daughter of Chapter Seven, Atlanta is trained by Ron Burke for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant, and Howard Taylor. This was her 13th career victory, and she has now earned $1,190,689. She paid $2.10 to win as the 1-9 favorite.