Dismissed at 18-1 thanks to a stale date and poor post position, Box Of Luck zipped right to the front and pulled off the upset in Tuesday’s Tamarind Trot at The Meadows.
The event honours Tamarind, long a top performer at The Meadows and still active for owner/trainer Bill Bercury.
Box Of Luck earned $39,225 at age two, but ended his season on September 11 off a stretch of sub-par performances. He hadn’t raced since then and was saddled with post eight for his return. But when Mike Wilder sent him to the lead, the Lucky Chucky-New DVD gelding thwarted the first-over bid of Rockefeller Lindy and prevailed in 1:58, one and a quarter lengths better than Media Buzz. Rockefeller Lindy saved show. Robert Rougeaux III trains Box Of Luck for Brocious Racing Stable and Lone Wolf Stable.
DDs Comet captured the other $15,000 opening-leg division — and gave Aaron Merriman his 9,000th career win — in the series for three-year-old colts and geldings.
In the $13,500 Filly & Mare Winners Over $10,000 Life Handicap Trot, Goodtogo Hanover withstood nearly race-long pressure from Oho Diamond to down her by a head in 1:55, with the pocket-sitting Bags For All third. Brian Zendt drove for trainer Phillip Zendt and owner Gary Saul. The four-year-old daughter of Explosive Matter-Grammy Hall extended her career bankroll to $171,427.
Jim Pantaleano piloted three winners on the 13-race card.
(With files from The Meadows)