July 31, 2012
Southwind Jazmin set a track record and matched a world record for 4-year-old pacing mares on a 5/8-mile oval with her victory in 1:49:2 in the featured pace on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race, a condition pace for mares who were non-winners of $30,000 in their last five starts, carried the night’s top purse of $21,000.
Leaving from post position #5 in a field of seven as the 3-5 favorite, Southwind Jazmin (Art Major-Juliet’s Fate) settled sixth early as Caviart Sarah cut out the opening quarter in 26:2. Driver Joe Pavia Jr. sent the favorite to the outside in the front stretch and she made the lead at the half in 54:3. From there, she extended the lead with a blistering back stretch that had her at three-quarters in 1:21.
In the stretch, Southwind Jazmin, owned by Rick Phillips and trained by Mark Harder, was never threatened and opened up to win by 6 ½ lengths over Jamaica Hanover. Caviart Sarah finished 3rd. The winning time of 1:49:2 broke the four-year-old Pocono track record of 1:49:3 set by U All BB in 2008. It also matched the 4-year-old mare world record of 1:49:2, held by Makerbark and Higher And Higher.
Southwind Jazmin won for the second time in 12 tries this year. It was her 13th career victory and her lifetime earnings now stand at $423,573.