The Meadowlands Racetrack will offer eleven overnight races this Friday night, led by the $17,500 final of the short-yet-popular ‘Dash for the G-Note’ series.
The final will head postward as the seventh race on the card, and it will kick off the $50,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 Pool.
Ron Burke will send three entries out in pursuit of the top prize, including ten-year-old class-master Ideal Matters, a recent addition to the barn. Ideal Matters (PP9) has raced the best around the east coast for the past few seasons and finally found the claimers a few weeks ago. He was eventually transferred via a private purchase.
The fresh surroundings apparently agreed with him – a perfect trip from driver Anthony Napolitano certainly didn't hurt – as he dashed from the pocket to wear down 1-5 race favourite Kotare Yael N for a comfortable win with something left.
Ideal Matters now races in the Burke stable colours for the interests of the trainer as Burke Racing, LLC in partnership with Weaver Bruscemi, LLC. Napolitano has retained the drive for Friday.
Moonlight Ransom – who collected his first win of the 2017 season in last week's elim and has drawn well – will start from Post 3 on Friday. ‘Moonlight’ has shown steady improvement since joining the Jenn Bongiorno stable for owner Michael Singer and is poised to contend for driver Simon Allard.
Justified is the third horse that will be returning off a win last week for trainer-driver Eric Abbatiello. Another ‘war horse,’ the nine-year-old went the fastest mile in the elims when he crossed the wire in 1:52.2. He races in the familiar colours of The Red Man Stable.
Promotions-wise, the Meadowlands is in holiday mode, with the direction being cash for the giving season. Friday it's that old chestnut ‘Money Machine Fever,’ a true fan favourite that is not to be missed.
The fun will start at 7:15 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)