Majorca N vaults off cover to win $100,000 Betsy Ross

Chester, PA — Michael Casalino Jr. and Dylan Davis’ Majorca N (Art Major) surged home off second-over cover to register a 1:49.3 win in Sunday’s (May 29) $100,000 Betsy Ross, for distaff pacers, at Harrah’s Philadelphia — her fastest mile and most prestigious harness racing win to date in North America.

Corey Callahan floated the 7-year-old mare into midfield, and the pair contently stalked a measured :55 opening half-mile set by lukewarm 5-2 favorite Amazing Dream N (Todd McCarthy) before commencing their attack with three-eighths to go. And for the well-proven stalker-closer — she won her first four races on American soil from off the pace, after all — the trip couldn’t have worked out any better.

“She’s not really a big leaver, so I was going to be first-, second-, or maybe third-over, depending on what happened,” Callahan said. “I was waiting to see what Yannick (Gingras) was going to do (with Drama Act), and luckily, he came and (Majorca N) got a good cover trip. When I moved her, she paced home hard.”

Unsatisfied with the slow pace, Gingras moved Drama Act first-over with three-eighths to go, forcing Amazing Dream N to accelerate to three-quarters in 1:22.1 — but also towing Majorca N into striking range.

Off the home turn, Callahan switched Majorca N three-wide, and she surged at once, using :53.4 back-half speed to engulf the top pair and win by a widening three-quarters of a length. Racine Bell (Jason Bartlett) rallied up the open stretch to save second; Easy To Please (Jordan Stratton) improved from third over to just collar Amazing Dream N and the flattened Drama Act for third.

MAJORCA N REPLAY

“Never did I think she was better than any of these mares, but so far, she’s showed me she’s pretty close to them,” Davis said. “Every time she’s flipped off a helmet, she’s put her head down and dug in. She fires off a helmet, and she’s going to last longer for me that way.”

Majorca N, who now has won five of eight races and $118,130 in America, has amassed 19 wins and $198,358 thus far in her career.

For complete results, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA