Mystical Image turned in a magical performance in the ISA Elite Day at the Indiana State Fair Monday. A total of 12 races for the Elite Series were held before heavy storms and rains raced through Central Indiana Monday, Aug. 29.
Mystical Image and Jacob Fox (center) rally home to a new lifetime mark in the ISA Elite Three-Year-Old Filly Pace at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Monday, Aug. 29.
The lone division for three-year-old filly pacers going for a purse of $10,400 included four fillies seeking the title. Running on Faith, who set a track record at Connersville in her last start, and Mike Peterson moved out for the early lead to set fractions of :27.0 and :57.0 before Mystical Image and Jacob Fox pulled from their two-hole position to challenge at the three-quarters in 1:26.0.
At the head of the stretch, Mystical Image and Running on Faith started a battle and were soon joined by Hotshot Betsy and Doug Rideout. The trio of fillies came down the stretch with Mystical Image getting the edge by a half length in 1:55.0. Hotshot Betsy was second over Running on Faith.
Mystical Image is owned by Fox along with Mystical Marker Farms, the filly’s breeder. The Always a Virgin sophomore earned her fourth win of the season. The mile also marked a new career best for the filly, who now has six career wins and $30,000 on her card. Fox trains the filly.
It was a Doug Rideout kind of day during the ISA Elite races. Rideout was the driver and trainer of six winners on the day, including five two-year-olds. Rideout trainees won both divisions of the two-year-old filly pace with Here We Go BB winning her division in 1:59.1 and Rockin Ruthie winning her division in 1:59.2. Sheila Parcher owns Here We Go BB, a daughter of Tellitlikeitis while Julie Rideout and Clint Coy own Rockin Ruthie, a daughter of Rockin Image.
Other winners for the Rideout barn include Rockinforreal in the two-year-old colt and gelding pace (1:57.2) and Help Dust and Mr Knowitall in the two divisions of the freshman trotting colts and geldings in 2:02.0 and 1:58.3, respectively.
Rideout closed out his day with a win in the three-year-old trotting colt and gelding lone division. Hand Dover Dan was a winner in 1:56.3 over stablemate Lonestar Fashion and Clint Coy, also trained by Rideout. Fly Like a Plane and Jordan Ross finished third.
Julie Rideout and Gracie Rosson own Hand Dover Dan, last year’s freshman trotting colt and gelding champion on the ISFC. The mile was a new career best for the Dover Dan son, who now has 14 career wins and nearly $60,000 in earnings.