Ontario invader St Lads Zena was assigned the inside post in the $10,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday evening (April 2) and used that advantage to edge out Delightful Syd by a nose in 1:57.2 over the fast track.

Scoring from the one-hole, favourite St Lads Zena (Ron Beback Jr.) played give-and-go with Taylor Rei to the opening quarter marker. It was then a matter of whether the front-running St Lads Zena had any takers from the six remaining mares in the stretch run. She had plenty, but gamely held them off thanks to a :28.3 last panel.

Delightful Syd (John Cummings Jr.) scooted down the ‘lightning lane’ but lost by a heart-breaking nose in the photo while third-place finisher Taylor Rei (Ray Fisher Jr.) finished just three-quarters of a length behind.

The victory was first of the season at Buffalo Raceway and second of the year for St Lads Zena, who had been racing at Western Fair Raceway and Woodbine Racetrack earlier in 2014.

The five-year-old Apaches Fame-Natural Ingredient mare was recently acquired by Keith Pinkowski and is trained by Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr. She now has bankrolled $18,174 this year and $88,179 lifetime.

Harness racing continues on Friday night at Buffalo Raceway with a 12-race card scheduled at 6:40 p.m.

(With files from Buffalo Raceway)