By Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway
The pair couldn't settle their differences as Lutetium and Justgottogetthere finished in a dead heat for the victory in 1:58.3 over the fast track in the $8,500 conditioned trot at Buffalo Raceway Wednesday night (March 18).
It boiled down to a two-horse race down the stretch with Lutetium ($6.50) begging for the wire while Justgottogetthere ($5.10) was charging on the outside. Nothing was settled in the photo as the pair battled to a draw. The Bronx Bumper (Jim Morrill Jr.) finished in third.
Lutetium, a 16-time winner in 2014, hit the winner's circle for the first time in 2015 after four previous attempts. The 8-year-old gelding is owned by Collen Girdlestone and trained by Mark Laidlaw.
Justgottogetthere has now won four out of seven starts this season. He's a 6-year-old gelding owned by Antonietta Landi and North Creek Racing with Jerry Nugent Jr. the conditioner.
In the co-featured $8,500 pace for fillies and mares, it took another photo to separate the winners but his time the picture produced a victor as Sadie's Place ($12.60) had just enough in the tank to hold of Fiftyonefifty by a head.
Watching the action from second place, Fiftyonefifty was the lone threat and made a charge late in the lane but ran out of real estate, coming up a head short. Bad Girl Vegas (Drew Monti) took the show position.
With the win, the second in nine tries in 2015, Sadie's Place has earned $13,110 this season and $322,090 lifetime. The 10-year-old mare is owned by Barry Franklin and trained by Darren Taneyhill.
Racing will continue on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. with a 12-race program on tap.
(Top photo) Justgottogetthere (#6) and Lutetium in dead heat in $8,500 trot.
(Bottom photo) Sadie's Place holds off the charge of Fiftyonefifty (#1).