American Rage raged through the stretch Tuesday at The Meadows to capture a division of the Dennis Sheehan Memorial Pace in 1:54.4, fastest this year by a sophomore colt on a five-eighths-mile track
. Border Fighting took the other $15,000 second-leg split, giving him two consecutive victories in the series for three and four-year-old colts and geldings.
Greg Grismore hustled American Rage to the lead from post eight, then settled comfortably in the three-hole. The son of American Ideal-Raging Heart poured through the Lightning Lane to defeat Playitagainstan, with the first-over Goggles Paisano third.
Randy Bendis trains and owns American Rage, who has finished in the money in all seven lifetime starts.
Border Fighting was parked for more than a quarter-mile but he was unassailable once on top, prevailing by a length in 1:55.2 for Dave Palone. Early leader Dunkirk Beach was shuffled but came on for second while Modern Day Clyde earned show money.
Ron Burke trains Border Fighting, a three-year-old I Am A Fool-Magic Moments gelding, for Joseph DiScala, Jr. and Cynthia Massari.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Trot, Hawaiianphotograph made her second start of 2011 a winning one when she blazed through the Lightning Lane for Brian Zendt to score in 1:56. Careless Love was second, a neck back, with Digital Pix third.
Bill Zendt trains Hawaiianphotograph, a six-year-old daughter of SJs Photo-Hawaiian Rose who now boasts career earnings of $411,434, for Shanamphilaniklou.
(The Meadows)