Windsun Glory ($4.00) and Crosbys Clam Bake ($5.80) controlled the terms in their respective featured events and held all comers at bay to score repeat wins on Friday (December 30) evening at The Meadowlands.
In the $18,000 featured distaff pace, carded as race six, Windsun Glory lived up to even-money billing and captured her ninth career win, also her third in four starts.
After she was looped off the gate by Inittowinafortune (Corey Callahan), Joe Bongiorno pressed the three-year-old Mach Three filly to the fore to clear at the completion of a :27.2 first quarter-mile. Despite first-over pressure from Delightful Dragon (Marcus Miller) through the middle splits of :55.3 and 1:24, Windsun Glory would not relinquish control, edging clear off the far turn and maintaining one and a half lengths of clearance while driven out to a 1:53 triumph. Delightful Dragon maintained second narrowly from Truth And Liberty (Kyle DiBenedetto), who sustained belated gains after angling off fourth-over cover.
Ron Burke trains Windsun Glory for the Burke Racing Stable, the Weaver Bruscemi partnership, the J & T Silva Stables, and Larry Karr.
The seventh race top-level conditioned trot, also carrying a purse of $18,000, saw Crosbys Clam Bake make every yard a winning one, coasting through splits of :28 and :57 before parrying a stern first-over challenge from Classical Annie (Marcus Miller) through the last five-sixteenths of the mile. Jim Marohn Jr. urged the six-year-old Kadabra gelding to edge away in the final sixteenth to secure a 1:55.3 victory by two and a quarter lengths.
Waiting On A Woman (Vinny Ginsburg) protected second from his pocket trip, and Classical Annie held third after leveling off. Second favourite Kelseys Keepsake lost all chance after breaking stride on approach to the first turn.
Crosbys Clam Bake earned his 31st career win for trainer Andy Federico and owners Randy Bendis, Jack Piatt II, and Tom Pollack.
Total handle for the 12-race card was $2,955,888.
A 13-race New Year’s Eve program closes out 2016 at The Meadowlands; post time is 7:15 p.m. Eastern.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)