Gold Strike in series opener at The Meadows

Gold Strike struck gold in the opening leg of the Mary Wohlmuth Memorial Series on Wednesday at The Meadows, powering to an impressive five-length victory over a sloppy surface. Liz won her third straight and fourth in the last five by capturing the other $12,000 division in the opening leg of the series for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

 

Gold Strike entered the series with solid credentials, including a win in a late-closer at The Red Mile and a second in the Standardbred at Delaware, Ohio. That experience showed in the Wohlmuth as she outdueled Chivas Regal for the early lead, then drew off to triumph in 2:00 for Aaron Merriman. Chivas Regal was a clear second while Miss Poinsettia recovered from an early break to finish third. Paul Kennedy Jr. trains Gold Strike, a daughter of Ken Warkentin-Alphabet Love, for Max Ernst.

 

Liz, the 2009 Pennsylvania Stallion Series divisional champion, kept right on rolling, though she had to hold off the late thrust of Maremma, a five-time winner on the Michigan fair circuit, to earn her victory in 2:01.4 for Mike Wilder. Maremma was a length back in second, with Caviar And Kisses a rallying third. Tabitha Teresczuk trains the homebred daughter of S J's Photo-Susannah for Bob Slowey and Carl Konieczny.

Elsewhere on the card, Dave Palone drove his seventh consecutive winner, including the last six on Tuesday’s card, when he guided Master’s Light to victory in the first race. However, the streak ended when his mount in the second race, Final Amour, finished fifth.

 

In a five-eighths-mile dash for $8,000 claimers, Choose Life matched the track record of 1:09.4, a mark established last week by Anotherama A. Dean Zaimes drove the 9-year-old Life Sign-Yankee Aspen gelding for trainer Rick Kobosky and owner Rhonda Kobosky.

 

Wilder and Eric Ledford each drove three winners on the 15-race card. (The Meadows)