Babe’s Darla is known for her grittiness and she displayed it Wednesday, March 9 at Miami Valley Raceway in the $11,500 conditioned claimer. The Indiana sired mare rallied up late for the win in 1:54.2.
Babes Darla and Jordan Ross earned their first win of 2023 by a nose Wednesday, March 8 at Miami Valley Raceway. Photo by Conrad Photography
Starting from post five, Babe’s Darla and Jordan Ross were able to find a seat early in third, following along as Big Time Barbie and Tyler Smith led the way through the first fraction of :28.1. Saulsbrook C Horse and Brett Miller then moved out and around to take over before the half in :57.1, which prompted the outer flow to form, led by KP’s Magic Macy and Dan Noble. Babe’s Darla sat patiently until room opened up and she slid to the outside and went to work, traveling home in :28.1 to score the win by a nose in a three-horse photo. Saulsbrook C Horse finished second with KP’s Magic Macy finishing another neck back in third.
Babe’s Darla paid $11.00 for the win. The four-year-old Straight Shooting mare is owned by Hartley Farms Inc. and trained by Carl Newland. Faron Parr bred the mare, who earned her first win of 2023 in the effort.
Overall, Babe’s Darla now has 10 wins in 32 career starts. Unraced at two, she competed on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit last season, winning the Governor’s Cup Championship for sophomore pacing fillies, also driven by Ross in that win. The race also marked a new career best time of 1:54.0 to add to her credentials.
Babe’s Darla is the last foal from the Kentucky Spur mare BJ’s Babe, who also raced in Indiana. Her older full brother, Babes Shooter, raced well at Harrah’s Hoosier Park last year, taking a mark of 1:53.3. Babe’s Darla now has more than $64,000 in earnings on her card.
Also on the card were two wins by the Don Eash Stable. The afternoon kicked off with a win from ER Kim and Bradley Ferguson in 1:53.4. Then, in the next to last race, Eash and Ferguson connected with the trotting mare Miss Smead, scoring the near gate to wire effort in 1:56.2. Both horses are owned by Eash Racing Stable.
At first glance it looked like a third member of the Eash Stable picked up a win as ER Room scored a win in the center of the card. However, the ER portion of the name does not include the Eash Racing moniker. It is attached to the hard knocking claimer ER Room, who was a winner in 1:53.1 for driver Trevor Smith. The Cambest gelding is 14 years old and in his final year of racing for owner-trainer Robert Rogan. To date, the veteran has 49 career wins and is closing in on a half million in earnings. He has raced at almost every track available and has been in the Midwest the past two seasons. Unraced at two, his career best time was taken as a 10 year-old at Northfield Park. Rogan has owned him since he was 12 years old.