Niagara shocker at Woodbine

Horseplayers who backed Notable Beauty in Monday night's second leg of the Niagara Pacing Series for 3-year-old filly pacers at Woodbine were rewarded with an early Christmas gift as the filly scored a monumental upset and returned $155.90 in the process. The other division produced a much more mild upset with Mach Me Not delivering at odds of 3-1.

 

Notable Beauty and driver Phil Hudon sat well back in the early going of the second division and watched Balasun put up torrid early fractions of :26, :54.1 and 1:22.4. That speed understandably took its toll on the pacesetter and set it up for the closers.

 

Notable Beauty kicked home fastest of all and got up in time for the 1:53.4 decision. Smashbox rallied for second while Balasun held bravely for third. The Heavily favored Thrillionaire came up flat and finished in fourth, triggering some hefty show payoffs.

 

The victory was the seventh in 19 trips postward this season for the daughter of Western Terror-Fans Bikini and pushed her earnings to just over $62,000 for trainer Alan Fair who co-owns along with Elizabeth Fair of Ancaster, Ont.

 

Mach Me Not used similar tactics to rally in the opening division for driver Mark MacDonald. The daughter of Mach Three-Cam Boo Angel stopped the clock in 1:54.2 and prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths over Queenies Alibi with Shescominonstrong rounding out the top three.

 

It was the fourth win in 26 trips postward for the filly who is trained by Garry Merner for owner Edward James of Aurora, Ont. The lion’s share of the purse boosted her seasonal earnings to just over $62,000.

 

The final of the $45,000(C) Niagara Pacing Series will go postward next Monday night at Woodbine. (WEG)