Final Breath shed faltering cover just in time and powered home to spring an 8-1 upset in the $17,900 Open Handicap Trot at the Meadows on Monday, June 15, the track’s reopening day after a 91-day COVID-19 shutdown.

With so many horses racing off stale dates, Monday’s card provided a bonanza for long shots — and long shot players — as the average win price exceeded $35.00

When Smalltownthrowdown took the field through a hotly contested :54.2 front half, it seemed likely that the closers would pick up the tiring leaders. But when Brady Brown tipped Final Breath off the rail down the backside, the pair found themselves pinned behind the weary Icanflylikeanangel, who had been parked every step.

Brown moved wider still, and when he showed Final Breath racetrack, the 10-year-old Victory Sam gelding rolled home in 1:52.3, a tick off of his career best. Whats The Word rallied from far back for second, beaten three and three-quarter lengths, with Classicality third.

Final Breath, pictured capturing Monday’s reopening day feature at The Meadows.

Norm Parker trains Final Breath, who boosted his lifetime bankroll to $636,518, for Duane Lowe.

Mike Wilder collected a pair of victories on the 10-race card.

The Meadows is now racing every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday beginning at 12:45 p.m. each day. Tuesday’s 10-race program will feature a $7.568.72 carryover in the Super Hi-5 (Race 10), a $5,974.41 carryover in the Pick 5 (Race 6) and a $5,000 total-pool guarantee in the Early Pick 4 (Race 2).

(The Meadows)