A shady Colonial record

Joann Perry’s Shady Matilda set a new track record for 4-year-old pacing mares with a powerful win in 1:50.3 Tuesday night at Colonial Downs.

Shady Matilda was a bit slow off the gate and was toward the back of the pack in fourth after an opening quarter in :27. Driver Frank Milby was content with that trip, however, and sent the Shady Character mare right to the lead as the field hit the turn.

Shady Matilda seized control of the race after a half in :55, shuffling early leader Western Starr back into second. Shady Matilda kept rolling on the lead around the turn and turned for home with a 1 1/2-length lead over Western Starr and never seriously threatened in the stretch. Western Starr was second, 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner and Scoot To Connect was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

The win was Shady Matilda’s tenth of the year for trainer James Perry.

New track records have been set every Halloween at Colonial for the last three years. In 2004 Kim’s Lass trotted a mile in 1:52.1, then the fastest trotting mile in Colonial history, and Spastic paced a mile in 1:49.3 to tie the mark for older pacing geldings. In 2005, Rose Run Gold lowered the mark for 3-year-old trotting fillies with a 1:54 clocking. (Colonial Downs)

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