Dinneratartsplace and driver Brian Sears drew first blood in the opening leg of the Sportsnet NY Series thanks to a pylon-skimming score at the Meadowlands
on Thursday evening.
It was the second win of the season for the four-year-old son of Artsplace, who hangs his harness bag in the barn of trainer James Eaton.
Dinneratartsplace was allowed to nestle into the two-hole while Laguna Beach and David Miller blazed through opening splits of :26.4 and :54.2. Race favourite Oliver Cleo stepped first-over and applied final turn pressure to the leader.
Those two went stride-for-stride past the three-quarter pole in 1:22.1, and they continued their battle for the length of the stretch. Laguna Beach drifted off the pylons when tiring in deep stretch, and that gave Sears a prime opportunity to drill through with his charge.
Dinneratartsplace was a head better than Oliver Cleo when they hit the line, and the 1:50 clocking goes down as a career-best effort for the five-time winner. Laguna Beach held on gamely to finish third.
Robert Silberberg of Farmington Hills, MI and John Schwarz, Jr. of Wooddale, IL share ownership on Dinneratartsplace, who has stashed away more than $78,000 in lifetime earnings.
The second leg of the Sportsnet NY Series goes next Thursday evening at the Meadowlands, with the $45,000 (est.) final slated for Thursday, April 16.
To view Thursday’s results, click here.