By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media
Relations Manager
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Divas Image,
sent off at odds of 31-1, charged through the stretch from near the rear of the
pack to win Saturday’s $189,750 Golden Girls for older female pacers by one
length over 99-1 shot Inverse Hanover in 2:03.1 for the distance of 1 1/8 miles
at the Meadowlands. Pure Country finished third.
Shartin N took the lead soon after the start and set
fractions of :25.2 for the quarter, :53.1 for the half, 1:21.3 for
three-quarters and 1:49 at the mile. Divas Image and driver Joe Bongiorno were
10th at the top of the stretch, more than eight lengths behind 1-5 favorite
Shartin N, before rallying on the far outside.
She won for the seventh time in 16 starts this year.
“The fractions were very fast,” Bongiorno said. “Fourth over,
being out the whole mile, I was a little concerned because she’s a small mare,
but she’s just as tough as they come. When I flipped her out, she absolutely
came out of her harness. She was pacing very strong.”
Divas Image, a 5-year-old daughter of Bettor’s
Delight-Rocknroll Diva, is trained by Jennifer Bongiorno and owned by Joe
Bongiorno LLC, Howard Taylor, Thomas Lazzaro and J&T Silva Stables. She has
won 18 of 58 career races and earned $498,917.
Divas Image paid $65.60 to win.
