Brian Sears has commented on Control The Moment’s big closing effort in the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace elimination and has also discussed this weekend’s $732,050 final at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
After having sat sixth through the fractions, Sears and Control The Moment fanned out wide in the lane from third-over. The son of Well Said had a full tank of pace, and he utilized that reserve to erase a four-length deficit. Control The Moment’s margin of victory was one length, and he froze the clock in 1:49.2 courtesy of a :26.2 final quarter.
"I was really pleased with the effort," Sears has been quoted as saying. "It was a nice trip. Those horses were coming back to me a little bit. My horse hadn't been used."
Sears has also commented on the fact that the bar had been set pretty high for the colt’s 2016 campaign, seeing as though he was a 2015 O’Brien Award winner after a standout freshman campaign.
"He had been in a number of tough situations with a lot of pressure put on the horse due to the fact he was such a great colt coming back as a three-year-old," said Sears. "There were a lot of expectations."
When asked about Saturday’s $732,050 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace final, Sears didn’t divulge any specific tactics.
"With my spot, I'm obviously in a position where we have to go forward," Sears said. "I have to be aggressive myself and make decisions from there. I'm sure there will be a few of them leaving out of there."
The reinsman also took the opportunity to address being the only nominee on the 2017 ballot for the Harness Racing Hall of Fame. "No doubt, it is a big honour," Sears said.
(With files from The Olympian)