HARRINGTON, Del. – David Banks and Layfield Horses Llc's Sayulita ($53.80, Ross Wolfenden) was a 1:53.2 harness racing winner in the $17,500 Mares Open Tuesday at Harrington Raceway.
A three-pronged early battle ensued for the early lead with I'm Won Rum Wiser winning the early tussle in a blistering 26.3 seconds to the opening quarter mile. Empress Deo promptly pressed the pace first over to the half-mile in 55.2 seconds and three-quarters in 1:23.4.
That gave live third over cover to Sayulita who gathered momentum on the final turn and cleared the leaders in the stretch for the win. Purrfect Bags, who briefly had the lead at the top of the stretch, was second with Fashion Showdown third. Sayulita, a 5-year-old Somebeachsomewhere mare, is trained by Anastasios Papadopoulos.
Tragically in the 9th race, pacer Paradise Lost suffered a fatal injury. The 11-year-old Artsplace mare made 272 career starts with 39 wins and $407,213 in career earnings for owner/trainer Bob Winkelman. She took her lifetime mark of 1:51.4 as a 5-year-old at Dover Downs and has ascended to Open level ranks at times in her career.
Matthew Sparacino