Test Of Faith continues to dominate

Test Of Faith continued her dominance as the #1 rated Harness Horse in the nation with her 14^th win this season, capturing the $129,000 Matron Stake for three-year-old pacing fillies Thursday at Dover Downs.

It was Jugette winner, Scarlett Hanover (Tim Tetrick), who went to the lead early in the 10^th race feature with Blue Diamond Eyes (Yannick Gingras) leaving and taking the two-hole trip as they went to the opening quarter mile in a speedy :25.4.

There was little movement past the half mile in :55 as Grace Hill (Todd McCarthy) started up first-over, flushing race favorite Test Of Faith and driver David Miller from third place to start first-over, giving Grace Hill second-over position.

Down the backstretch, Test Of Faith bided her time for Miller against Scarlett Hanover, going by the three-quarters in 1:21.1. Once around the final turn, Test Of Faith dug in and passed by Scarlett Hanover in the stretch, then hold off Blue Diamond Eyes to win by a half length in 1:49.1. Scarlett Hanover was third.

It was the fifth straight win for Test Of Faith ($2.60). The Art Major daughter, trained by Brett Pelling for co-owners Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Eddie Gran, now sports in incredible 14 wins in 16 starts this year with two second place finishes. She has now amassed $1,069,736 in earnings this year.

TEST OF FAITH REPLAY

“She has raced this way before,” said trainer Brett Pelling. “They kinda can’t find a way to beat her. She has showed us before she can handle anything thrown at her. I think for the future she is going to be turned out in a nearby paddock for a couple of months.”

“I could have kept the two-hole closed early,” David Miller explained, but I didn’t want to get caught up in situation too early. “She felt so comfortable until we got to the stretch and then I asked her for more.”

For full race results, click here.

By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink