Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Top Distaffs Battle in $200,000 Nadia Lobell
Trio of racing's richest pacing fillies face off at the Red Mile Sunday
Three of harness racing’s richest filly pacers will face each other in Sunday’s $200,000 Nadia Lobell at the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, and a victory by any of them could help to decide divisional honors. The three – Cabrini Hanover, Chotat Milk and Just Wait Kate – received byes into the final on the basis of their earnings.

Cabrini Hanover, who won the Fan Hanover despite going off stride at the start and falling back to ninth place, tops all three-year-old filly pacers with $516,800 in earnings this season. She comes off a second-place finish in Monday’s Simcoe Stake at Mohawk.

"I would have liked to race from off the pace, but with a lot of longshots, it was tough," driver Brian Sears said. "With a field like that, nothing good comes from following. I had to race on the front end. I think she might be better coming off a horse’s back. I think she’s going to be a really good mare, especially next year when she won’t have to race as aggressive and can let the race come to her."

Just Wait Kate last competed August 6 when she went off stride as the even-money favorite in the Mistletoe Shalee at the Meadowlands. Following the race, she was sidelined with a foot injury that forced her to miss the Fan Hanover.

"She just needed a little break and she’s over her foot problem," trainer Travis Alexander noted. "Ron (driver Pierce) knows the filly well and she will be ready to go. I don’t think the time off will hurt her. She’s probably as much like a Thoroughbred as I’ve ever seen in a Standardbred that way. She seems to thrive on less work."

Just Wait Kate has won five of seven starts this year, including a division of the Tarport Hap, and earned $93,090. Lifetime, she has won seven of 13 races and earned $204,889.

Chotat Milk has won five of eight starts this year, including the Mistletoe Shalee, and earned $300,413.

Note: In the Nadia Lobell elimination race on September 4, Thereal Ideal posted a huge upset, winning at odds of 89-1, in 1:52.1. Latte Lady, who was 34-1, was second and 30-1 shot Ty Chi Hanover was third. The superfecta payoff, which included fourth-place finisher Cheyenne Adrienne, paid $75,902, which is believed to be a track record.