Saratoga feature won with power

After crossing the wire second in each of her last three starts, including consecutive defeats by a neck, J Power rewarded her loyal backers with a half-length victory on Thursday when taking the $5,500 featured non-winners trot at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway in a lifetime-best 2:01.2.

Driven from post four by Jay Randall, J Power dropped back to fifth place through the early stages of the Thursday trot as Winning Prince (Jim Devaux) powered directly to the front, covering the opening quarter mile in :30.1. As the trotters made their second turn of the mile, J Power was angled off the pylons to begin an extended first-over journey, methodically grinding away at the lead held by Winning Prince as that one showed the way through middle fractions of 1:01.1 and 1:30.4.

Winning Prince entered the lane with a one length advantage over J Power, but could not shake off the determined daughter of Credit Winner, who relentlessly wore down the leader through mid-stretch, charging to the front in the final yards to claim a half-length victory.

J Power returned $4.30, $2.10, and $2.20 for the victory. Winning Prince brought in $2.30 and $2.70 for second, while Fox Valley Dolly (Mark Beckwith) paid $7.00 for third.

Owned by Michael Riggi of Clifton Park, N.Y., and trained by John Mongeon, J Power ended an eight-race losing streak with her Thursday victory, and has now prevailed three times from 13 starts this year, which matches her win total from 24 outings in 2007. (Saratoga)

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