Hearts N Flowers lowers her mark at Colonial

New Kent, VA --- Wayne Long’s Hearts N Flowers scored a convincing, wire-to-wire victory in Wednesday’s featured fillies and mares pacing feature at Colonial Downs as closing week festivities kicked off.

Coady Photography

Hearts N Flowers changed tactics ... and it resulted in a lowered lifetime mark.

Hearts N Flowers, who had been racing primarily in New York Sire Stakes company, came into Virginia with a sophomore year bankroll of more than $67,000. The Artiscape filly left from post four on Wednesday and unlike her past races got to the front immediately and cut quarters of :28, :56.3 and 1:25.3. Jeff Amann’s Cheetah Feet, the betting choice based on back to back wins, moved from fifth coming out of the turn to second in mid-stretch but could not get close to the eventual winner.

Hearts N Flowers crossed the line five lengths in front of Cheetah Feet in a new life mark of 1:53.1. Her prior best, 1:55.3, was set at Yonkers Raceway on July 16. The impressive filly is owned by the Bay Pond Racing Stable.

Colonial Downs will host a 10-race program on Thursday at 1:00 p.m., eastern. The final two fall programs will be contested this Saturday and Sunday, also at 1:00 p.m. Closing day’s card will be highlighted by the $400,000 Virginia Harness Day of Champions.

-- Darrell Wood

Harrington
Daniel Poliseno’s Man About Town ($11.40, Tony Morgan) was a repeat winner in the $22,000 Open trot at Harrington Raceway, in 1:56, on Wednesday. The 9-year-old Self Possessed gelding left from post seven and was able to assume command early from Allmar Surprise. Man About Town never relinquished the lead and held Allmar Surprise safe in the two hole for a one length win. Spunky Vic was third. It was the sixth win of the year for Man About Town, who is trained by Tony Poliseno. Morgan, Jim Morand and Mike Cole each had three winners on the program.

Isle Pompano Park
Seven Arias and driver Deshawn Minor captured the $12,500 championship final of the Florida Sunshine Stakes series for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday night at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, besting Dona (Tom Lehman) and Don't Spank Me (Kevin Wallis) in 1:56.3. The clocking lowered the winner's lifetime best win time by over one second and ran the Squaw's Fella lass' summary for her freshman season to four wins and two seconds in six lifetime starts. She is owned and was bred by Laura Newbery.

Batavia Downs
The seven post didn't pose much of a problem for You're Too Funny ($6.80) in the $9,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace on Wednesday night at Batavia Downs as she easily went gate-to-wire in posting a three length win over It's Only Roni. Leaving from the outside post in the seven-horse field, driver Jack Flanigen and You're Too Funny immediately shot for the lead and reached it before hitting the eighth-pole. From there, it was "catch me if you can" and the remainder of the field had no response to the challenge. You're Too Funny, a 4-year-old American Ideal mare, used fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:26 in posting an impressive time of 1:54.4. A :28.4 final quarter over the fast track on the chilly night was too much for the rest of the field as You're Too Funny extended her lead down the stretch. It's Only Roni (Jim McNeight) took second place while Romania Hanover (Shawn Gray) took the show spot but neither could mount any threat against the winner. You're Too Funny has now won two straight in the Open and has finished no worse than second in her previous seven starts at this level. Owned by Greg Capell and trained by Chris Naedele, You're Too Funny has now earned $50,434 on the year and also has registered 10 wins on the campaign.