Early North America Cup favourites Captaintreacherous and Odds On Equuleus turned in a pair of impressive back-to-back qualifying wins during this morning's 12-race session at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Captaintreacherous won his third consecutive qualifier in 1:51 flat for trainer Tony Alagna and Captaintreacherous Racing. With Tim Tetrick in the sulky, the Somebeachsomewhere-Worldly Treasure colt left from outside three other starters and cruised through fractions of :27.3, :57.1, and 1:24.1 before kicking home in :26.4 to win by nearly 10 lengths. Rocky Mountain Guy, A Bettor World, and Native Lights completed the field.
The O'Brien and Dan Patch Award winner, who banked $911,277 in purses as a freshman thanks in part to his Metro Pace victory, is the top ranked colt in Trot Magazine's 2013 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, assessed at odds of 3-1.
One race later Odds On Equuleus, the 9-2 second choice in the Spring Book, turned in a 1:51.2 mile to win his second straight qualifier for trainer Robin Schadt and owner-breeder Odds On Racing.
John Campbell sent the Art Major-Latte Lady colt to the lead from post four and carved out panels of :27.4, :57 and 1:24.4 before opening up three lengths on his four foes with a :26.3 final frame. The Alagna-trained Wake Up Peter, the 8-1 fourth choice in the Spring Book, finished second off a pocket trip in rein to Ron Pierce while Duel In The Sun, assessed at odds of 40-1 in the Spring Book, finished third over seven lengths behind for driver Corey Callahan and trainer John Butenschoen.
In other qualifying action, millionaire pacer Bolt The Duer converted from the pocket and sprinted home in :25.3 for his third straight qualifying win of his four-year-old season. The son of Ponder and Wonderbolt stopped the clock in 1:52.4, defeating Linda Toscano's debuting duo, Bettors Edge (who led through fractions of :28.4, :57.4 and 1:27.1) and Dan Patch Award winner Heston Blue Chip. The Peter Foley trainee won by three and a half lengths with Mark MacDonald aboard.
Making the second qualifying start of his seven-year-old campaign, the Jonas Czeryson-trained millionaire trotter Hot Shot Blue Chip followed Another Amaretto through fractions of :28.2, :57.1 and 1:26.1 before charging home in :27.3 to prevail by half a length in 1:54 with Callahan in the sulky. Cedar Dove finished two lengths behind in third.
Breeders Crown champion Maven swept from third to first down the backstretch to win the second qualifer of her four-year-old campaign in 1:54.1. Yannick Gingras drove the Glidemaster-M Stewart mare for Czernyson. Dig For Dollars finished two and half lengthe back in second with early leader Mr Candyman finishing nine lengths behind in third.
O'Brien Award winning trotting filly Bee A Magician (Kadabra-Beehive) finished third in her sophomore debut, clocking her mile in 1:56.3 with Brian Sears aboard for trainer Richard 'Nifty' Norman, Ontario's Melvin Hartman and co-owners Herb Liverman and David McDuffee. Hauln Fanny was a 1:56 wire-to-wire winner in the qualifier for Andy and Julie Miller with Kindergarten champ Ma Chere Hall following in second in her first charted mile of the season.
Peter Haughton winner Aperfectyankee turned in a 1:56 mile (:28.1 final quarter) in his season's debut, finishing just a head behind Lauderdale for trainer-owner Jim Oscarsson.
To view Saturday's complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Qualifiers) - Meadowlands Racetrack
(Photo courtesy New Image Media)