Margarita Momma equals Indy Downs record in Kentuckiana win

Margarita Momma equaled the Indiana Downs track record for freshman filly trotters Friday night, winning her $70,225 division of the Kentuckiana Stallion Management stakes in 1:56.3. Trainer Jan Johnson sat behind the Yankee Glide filly, a third-place finisher in the $523,600 Merrie Annabelle final. The Shelbyville oval played host to four Kentuckiana contests.

Starting from post four, the 4-5 favorite dropped in fourth early as Some Like It Lindy (Mike Lachance) and Canoli (Jimmy Takter) fired for the lead. After a :27.4 opening panel Johnson moved Margarita Momma out and took command as the field reached the half (:58.2). The duo was soon shuffled to second when Jeansandatshirt and Andy Miller brushed to the front, leading the group to the three-quarter mile marker in 1:28.2. However, the filly would break stride, and Margarita Momma capitalized, drawing away in the stretch to equal the track record. Canoli finished second and No Ifs Here raced third.

“She’s always been a nice filly. Her ears are always pointed forward,” Johnson said afterward. “She was only beaten by a length in the Merrie Annabelle.”

Twice a winner in six career starts, Margarita Momma has earned more than $137,000 this season. The new lifetime mark equals the time established by Solveig in 2004 in a Kentuckiana stake division.

In the first $70,225 split of the night Missy’s Doubt Fire crossed the wire first but was placed second by judges for interference with runner-up Give N Take. Don Irvine Jr. drove the winner, half of a favored Ron Gurfein entry, to her first career victory. Dover Miss, the other half of the entry, finished third.

Irvine left from the gate and settled in behind Missy’s Doubt Fire. Takter and the Cantab Hall filly clicked off fractions of :29, :59.2 and 1:29.2 to lead the field into the stretch. There, the trotter drifted down into the path of Give N Take before stopping the clock in 1:57.4, resulting in the interference. Give N Take is owned by Brittany Farms and Jerry Silva.

Dancing Filly strutted her way to a 1:57.1 score in the third Kentuckiana division. Driven by Andy Miller, the Like A Prayer freshman collected her second seasonal win. Sirenuse was second and Gabby’s Gambol rounded out the trifecta.

“I told Andy she would dog it early, but don’t be afraid to move first up,” trainer Kevin Thomas said.

He did just that. Fourth along the rail early on, Miller pulled Dancing Filly from the pylons after a :28.1 opening quarter and moved first up, collaring leader One Tough Girl (Trace Tetrick) after the half. The two fillies matched strides around the turn before Dancing Filly cleared. She won by three quarters of a length at the wire for Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, Fla.

Celebrity Athena and Dave Magee came on late in the stretch to out-duel Musical Mystery in the $68,975 fourth division. The Yankee Glide filly won in a time of 1:58 for trainer Staffan Lind and Celebrity Farms. Ellen Harvey was third.

“The filly had a lot of trot,” Magee said. “In the stretch she just dug in.”

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