In classic battle of the sexes fashion, IPO Blue Chip, the lone mare in Sunday’s (5/20) $6,000 Free for All Trot, bested an accomplished field of boys en route to inscribing her name on the track record ledger by equaling one of the longest-standing benchmarks held at Scarborough Downs for aged mares. The five-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide flew over a lightning fast strip on Sunday, stopping the teletimer in 157.4 to match the clocking of the legendary Kit Lobell (Bernt Lindstedt), winner of the 1990 edition of Scarborough’s Legislator Trot.

IPO Blue Chip, owned by Kevin Gee of Falmouth, Maine, and trained by Scarborough’s leading conditioner, Randy Bickmore, was masterfully driven in the record-setting performance by Shawn Thayer.

“She’s a great little mare. She’s one of the best in my stables,” said Gee. “Shawn told me in the winner’s circle that we could have beaten that [all age] track record today, she had tons left. We’ll save it for next week. But today, she won easy. It was great to see.”

Live racing resumes at Scarborough Downs Friday and Saturday at 4 pm with the popular Sunday matinee at 1:05 pm.