Tioga Downs: Miss Versatility contests won by Ice Attraction, Broadway Donna
Trotting mares met up in a pair of $30,000 splits of the Miss Versatility Series on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs, and it would be Ice Attraction and Broadway Donna posting the victories.
Ice Attraction, driven by Yannick Gingras for the first time in her career, got the job done in the first division, winning in 1:53 2/5. She was up to get the lead from Pink Pistol (Tim Tetrick) passing the 28 2/5 opening quarter, then backed down the tempo to just 57 3/5 at the half. Ice Attraction picked up the pace from there, reaching three-quarters in 1:25 and just lasting through the lane over a re-emerging Pink Pistol, winning by a head. Barn Bella (Trond Smedshammer) was third after an inside trip behind the top-two finishers.
"I'd never driven her, but I've raced against her many times, so I knew quite a bit about her," said Gingras of last year's Kentucky Filly Futurity winner who had yet to visit victory lane this year before today. "She raced really good, and she was digging in in the stretch. I was definitely looking for a big back-half, no doubt about it. We got away with things fairly easy up front, but she got the job done."
Trainer Ake Svanstedt also co-owns Ice Attraction, a 4-year-old daughter of Muscle Hill, with Douglas Sipple, Mal and Janet Burroughs LLC., and Little E LLC. This was her tenth career victory, and she has now earned $564,660. She was the 3-5 favorite and paid $3.40 to win.
Broadway Donna (David Miller), who was first-up the entire race last Sunday at Tioga in the Joie De Vie (finishing seventh), got a much smoother trip on the engine this week and prevailed in 1:52 1/5 in the other section. Starting from post five, she clicked off stations of 27 1/5, 56 4/5, and 1:24 2/5, put away a first-over try from Rose Run Sydney (Tetrick) off the last turn, and went on to win by about two lengths. NF Happenstance (Jack Parker Jr.) tracked from the pocket and was the runner-up, with Celebrity Ruth (Smedshammer) in third.
"She's been nothing short of a blessing," remarked winning trainer Jim Campbell. "We've raced her at 2, 3, 4, and now 5-years-old. She's just such a pleasure to train, and she just gives you everything she's got. She went a huge trip last week getting parked the whole mile. She never gave it up and gave everything she had. She got a lot easier trip today and she responded well. She's just been a super filly.
"We just basically have to babysit her. She's a professional. Dave knows her; the only thing that I said to Dave before was that she's had a few tough races, so let's not be real tough on her. Then again if nobody leaves you don't want to be sitting at the back. Dave did the right thing, and she got a nice trip. It was nice to see her not have to get raced super hard the way she has in the last few races."
Fashion Farms LLC. bred and own Broadway Donna, a 5-year-old Broadway Hall mare. She is now a 21-time winner in her life, and she pushed her bankroll to $1,387,485. She was dispatched as the 2-5 choice and returned $2.90 to win.