Trot Insider provided live race recaps and video replays in The Hambletonian News Centre throughout the card of harness racing at the Meadowlands

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Major Stakes

Drop Red Dazzles In Holmes
Shadow Play Shocks At 14-1

It's A Musc-Hill-Tonian!

Broadway Schooner Grabs Oaks Title
Nat Ray To Lucky Jim In 1:50.1

World Record For Not Enough In Mistletoe
Sears And Peck Double In Haughton
Poof Shes Gone In Merrie Annabelle

Hambletonian Day Undercard

New Mark For Montecito N In Invite, Pierce Hits 7,000 Wins

Montecito N converted a perfect pocket trip into a new lifetime mark of 1:49.2 in the $50,000 Invitational Pace on Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

With Ron Pierce at the controls, fan favourite Montecito N followed last week’s winner Jeremys Successor (George Brennan) through panels of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:23.2 while Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) applied heavy pressure from first-over. Jeremys Successor and Foiled Again locked in a duel heading down the stretch, but Montecito N came flying home in :25.4 for the victory, the 7,000th lifetime for driver Ron Pierce.

Foiled Again finished second by a neck and Cinderella Guy (Tim Tetrick) closed well for third over Jeremys Successor.

Montecito N improved his seasonal record to 8-7-4 in 23 starts with $256,900 earned for trainer Monte Gelrod, who shares ownership with Robert Bongiorno of Colts Neck, Kevin Reynolds of Bordentown, New Jersey and Peter Heffering of Port Perry, Ont. The six-year-old Armbro Operative-Dinavinetto gelding in now a 20-time winner with $355,515 in the bank.

Riggins Fullback Tough In Preferred

Showing the grit of his NFL namesake, Riggins and driver Jim Morrill, Jr. survived an overland journey and stretch duel with the favourite to capture the $40,000 four-year-old Preferred Pace on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

For a seven-horse field, this race didn't offer a dull moment as Southwestern Dream (John Campbell) and One False Move slugged it out to the :26.3 opening quarter. Southwestern Dream cleared after the quarter and then played hardball with Share The Delight (Yannick Gingras), not allowing the challenger to clear easily, parked through a swift :53.1 half. Morrill had Riggins spotted second over and commenced his three-wide bid around the final turn as the front pair continued to battle through a 1:21.2 three-quarter time. Favoured Beeyouuuuuu (Brian Sears) followed that one and tipped out to challenge for the lead.

Down the stretch a dead-game Southwestern Dream held his lead but eventually yielded to the backfield as Riggins and Beeyouuuuuu traded punches to the wire. In the end, Riggins held on by a nose to trip the timer in a lifetime best 1:48.4.

Tracy Brainard trains Riggins (Art Major - Towners Image) for Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, FL.

Btwnyurheartnmine Opens Hambo Day With A Bang

Btwnyurheartnmine opened Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands Racetrack with a stunning 1:48.3 victory in the $50,000 Fillies & Mares Invitational Pace making her the second fastest pacing mare ever.

With Brian Sears in the bike, Btwnyurheartnmine, the 2-1 second choice, got away fourth from a Post 1 start as Go On BB (Yannick Gingras) and Fleur De Lil A (Andrew McCarthy) battled for the top stop. Go On BB settled on the lead by the :27.3 opening quarter, but Cuz She Can (Daniel Dube) took command en route to the half in :55.1 with Btwnyurheartnmine hot on her heels. Btwnyurheartnmine reached up for the lead and powered past three-quarters in 1:21.3 before drawing away from the field by two and a half lengths for the triumph. Btwnyurheartnmine stopped the clock in 1:48.3 missing My Little Dragon’s World Record by two-fifths of a second.

Go On BB was the runner-up with favourite Dreamfair Eternal (Tony Kerwood) closing well for third.

Btwnyurheartnmine, trained by Ross Croghan, scored her third win in eight seasonal starts pushing her earnings to $71,750. The four-year-old Real Desire-Winbak Pam mare has won 12 times in her career and sports a bankroll totaling $533,502 for the Let It Ride Stables of Delray Beach, Florida, Jerry Silva of Long Beach, New York and the Robert Cooper Stables of Boca Raton, Florida.

Stay tuned here for all the news surrounding the Hambletonian Day card of harness racing.

Links:

• Entries - click here
• Results - click here
• Race Program - click here
• Video - click here