Grace Hill grabs gold in Shady Daisy

by Ray Cotolo

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A pocket ride proved golden for Richard "Nifty" Norman trainee Grace Hill as she downed 1-9 favorite and stablemate Fire Start Hanover to win the $97,550 Shady Daisy, for 3-year-old pacing fillies, on Saturday (Aug. 7) at The Meadowlands.

Grace Hill grabbed the lead by a :26.4 first quarter before yielding into the backstretch to Fire Start Hanover. The pair continued up the backstretch as the field strode single file by a :54.3 half with the outer tier starting to develop with a first-over move by Off The Record.

Off The Record made slight gains around the final turn while Fire Start Hanover cruised over her anxious stablemate to three-quarters in 1:22.4. In the straightaway, driver Andy McCarthy angled Grace Hill from the pylons and dug into Fire Start Hanover through the final eighth of a mile, successfully downing the pacesetter by a head in 1:49. Mikala rallied to take third, several lengths behind the breakaway pair.

Competing for owner Tom Hill, Grace Hill has won two races from nine starts this season and six from 16 overall, earning $329,473. She paid $14.20 to win.