Close contests in Northville Opens

Six-year-old Eyes Don’t Lie (Roll With Joe) with owner/trainer/driver Winter Asher-Stalbaum took the Northville Downs co-featured $10,800 Mares Open Pace, while seven-year-old Travlin Swan (Swan For All) with harness racing trainer/driver Art McIlmurray captured the $10,800 Open Trot Friday night (May 5).

The featured Mares Open had Eyes Don’t Lie being hustled away from her rail position by Asher-Stalbaum to seat all challengers and never look back. She and Michelle’s Ideal set fractions of 27.3, 57.1, 1:25.4 before stopping the timer in 1:55.0 winning by a one length margin over Rockinattheryman (Marc St. Louis, Jr) who was second and Cousin Margie (Lindsay Moen) who settled for third. The win marked Eyes Don’t Lie’s 16th career victory and pushed her earnings to $113,467.

In the featured trot, Art McIlmurray drove Travlin Swan, away for the lead.

The pair tripped the beams to fractions of 28.1, 57.4, 1:27.1, and a final clocking of 1:57.2 when they held off a late charge by I Get It (Bob Rowland) at the finish to hold on to win by a nose with That’s A Bad Boy (Jason Merriman) finishing third. 

The victory for Travlin Swan was career win number 18 and his purse earnings ticked up to $133,603. Travlin Swan is owned by Staci Malady and was bred in Michigan by Gus Korbakis. 

Racing at Northville Downs resumes Saturday, May 6th at 7pm.  Live racing continues every Friday and Saturday evening now through September 30th. For live racing dining reservations, be sure to call Northville Downs in advance at 248-924-2073.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ken Terpenning, for Northville Downs