Tornado Betty overcomes wet conditions at Prairie

ALTOONA, Iowa - Tornado Betty defeated seven rivals to win the $60,000 Goldfinch, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies on Prairie Meadows's opening night card Friday. Tornado Betty rallied from eight lengths back at the half and won in a final time of 1:09.14, two-hundredths of a second off the stakes record.

Starlite Starbrite, the 4-5 favorite, dueled with Tornado Betty's stablemate, Chandlers Heart, through the fog and drizzle in early fractions of 21.60, 44, and 56.20. Nearing the top of the stretch jockey Dan Vergara guided Tornado Betty wide on the sealed sloppy track, to what seemed to be the best ground of the night, and then outfinished Starlite Starbrite and Kinsolving. Trainer Lynn Chleborad said that Tornado Betty will likely be pointed to the $60,000 Panthers, a race for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on June 5 at Prairie Meadows. Tornado Betty, a daughter of Comic Strip, is owned by Stable H.M.A.