Saturday night will see the return of the Kindergarten Pacing Series at the Meadowlands Racetrack with two divisions for each sex.
The dozen fillies split nicely into a pair of sixes and will race back to back in the second and third events.
The second race is a very competitive group with Ameraway looking to make amends for her disappointing performance as the favourite in last week's Kindergarten race, having given way to last after moving first over for driver Marcus Miller. The beautifully bred but lightly raced Gallic Sea (Somebeachsomewhere- Galleria) made a dynamic close for second in that one for Jimmy Marohn Jr. and is improving.
Despite their presence, Miss Jones may well be the filly to beat from Post 2. A good second in the PASS consolation, Miss Jones has never missed the board in six tries while collecting more than $60,000 for Crawford Farms, Val D'Or Farms and Ted Gewertz. Joe Holloway trains and Kyle Husted, in from Chicago, picks up the drive.
Jennys Terror heads up Division 2 on the strength of her win in last Saturday's race. She stormed home from well back to be one of four winners on the night for Victor Kirby, who is back in the bike for trainer Noel Daley and owner The OK Corral.
The colts go in races five and eleven, both quite similar in composition to the September 10 divisions.
Manattack is back to tussle with Machiavelli (Andy Miller) who he tracked from the pocket before brushing by in the stretch for the mild upset a week ago. Vic Kirby picks up the Manattack mount for this race, driving for trainer Jessica Okusko and owner M&L of Delaware. The new shooter in here is Macs Jackpot (Marohn) who won a division of the Grand Circuit Nassagaweya and gave a solid performance in the Metro recently.
Northwest Yankee was the runner up to Cougar Bait last week and with that one not entered on Saturday, become the morning line choice in the eleventh. Winless in eight attempts, Northwest Yankee will start from Post 6 for Brett Miller who has the assignment for trainer Nifty Norman and the Pinske Stable.
Thirteen races compose the Saturday offering with plenty of competitive, full fields that resulted in excellent value for the Meadowlands faithful a week ago. Favourites won just four of the 25 races conducted last Friday and Saturday while the average win payoff last weekend was more than $12. The average $2 exacta payoff was just under $100 and the average $2 trifecta was more than $600.
The Meadowlands will now go dark until live racing resumes with Breeders Crown eliminations and the big 40th Anniversary spectacular on the weekend of October 21.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)