Scioto: Test Of Faith cruises in Cleopatra Invitational

Test Of Faith surpassed $2 million in career earnings after posting a 1:49 track record victory in Friday's $100,000 Cleopatra Invitational for pacing mares at Scioto Downs.

Starting from a trailing post ten, Test Of Faith (David Miller) had an excellent start and was positioned fourth as Gia's Surreal (Aaron Merriman) blasted to the lead from post six and got to the quarter in 26 2/5. Miller would give Test Of Faith her marching orders beyond that marker, and she would work her way by Gia's Surreal coming to the 54 2/5 half.

After Test Of Faith touched down on the point, 2-1 second choice Lyons Sentinel (Matt Kakaley) wound up first-over after getting away in sixth, and although Lyons Sentinel made some initial gains on the rim, her bid stalled out in third before the 1:21 3/5 three-quarters, leaving Test Of Faith still on a clear lead at that station. With her main threat in Lyons Sentinel dispatched, there was nobody who could get by Test Of Faith in a 27 2/5 last quarter, and in fact, Test Of Faith would widen her margin through the lane in winning by 3 1/4 lengths. Grace Hill (Dexter Dunn) rallied off excess cover to get second, and Gia's Surreal held third from Lyons Sentinel.

The time of 1:49 lowered the previous standard at Scioto for a 4-year-old pacing mare by a fifth of a second.

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Brett Pelling trains Test Of Faith, an Art Major mare, for owners Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable, and Eddie Gran. She has 28 victories in 36 career starts, has now put away $2,005,981, and paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite.