Soaring four wide late in the stretch, Forbidden Trade upset a sterling field of older trotters, including the super mare Manchego, to win the $135,000 Crawford Farms Trot on Saturday (July 3) at The Meadowlands.

Forbidden Trade, driven by Daniel Dube, was sixth when Its Academic cut the first quarter in :27.1. The Veteran followed in second and Majestic Player rolled easily in third. Race-favourite Manchego sat fourth in the early going, but when Its Academic rated the half in :56.3, she came out of fourth to challenge for the lead with Lindy The Great catching cover second over and Forbidden Trade third over.

Manchego cruised uncovered around the final turn to match strides with Its Academic to three-quarters in 1:24.2. Dube steered Forbidden Trade around Lindy The Great to launch a late charge that at first did not look hopeful. But as Manchego battled with Lindy The Great and Its Academic in deep stretch, Forbidden Trade brushed by full of trot, going a final quarter in :26.4 to get to the wire first by a neck in a 1:51.1 mile.

Lindy The Great held on for second with Manchego third and Its Academic finishing fourth.

“I would have liked to get away closer [in the start], said Dube. “With the rail it’s tough to push out of there sometimes.” Dube said once Forbidden Trade got “in gear” he was trotting strongly. “I followed [Manchego] and [Lindy The Great] … then he dug in. That’s an amazing horse.”

Forbidden Trade paid $16.80 to win. It was his second win of 2021 in 18 starts. Trained by Luc Blais, the five-year-old son of Kadabra amazed Meadowlands fans before when he came from behind to win The Hambletonian at 15-1 in 2019.

Determination of Quebec, Canada owns Forbidden Trade, who has now won $1,413,232.

Another Hambletonian winner, Atlanta, driven by Yannick Gingras, won the $156,000 Joie De Vie Trot over 10 rivals, also timed in 1:51.1.

Outsider Morairtime shot to the lead off the gate as Ramona Hill broke and an early shuffle for the lead ensued to a :27.2 first quarter. Hypnotic AM challenged for the top and Felicityshagwell S settled in third while When Dovescry, who left from the second tier, rushed three wide to the front to take the lead. The field settled with those positions until 4-5 favourite Atlanta took the outside path and grabbed a short lead over When Dovescry moving to three-quarters in 1:24.4.

The 2018 Hambletonian winner easily drew away off the turn to win by 2 1/2 lengths while When Dovescry held on for second and Hypnotic AM found late foot to take the third spot. Next Level Stuff checked in next in fourth.

It was the second win of the season for Atlanta, trained by Ron Burke, and her 27th victory in her career. The 6-year-old Chapter Seven mare has now won $2,752,973.

Gingras said Atlanta “is so freakin’ good right now. I don’t know if she’s ever been better.” Gingras said he was not happy having to go first over with her “but she came with a handful of trot. I was just patient with her and didn’t have to call on her too early. About three or four strides into the stretch I asked her and she took off like a pacer. She’s unbelievable.”

Crawford Farms, Brad Grant and Howard Taylor own Atlanta, who paid $3.80 to win.

Driver Tim Tetrick commandeered his competition with the 4-year-old Captaintreacherous mare Lyons Sentinel and delivered as the 4-5 favourite in the $160,000 Artiscape Pace, lowering the track and world record in the process.

Floating off the car in a five-horse charge for the lead, Lyons Sentinel landed on the point past a :26 first quarter, pocketing Rocknificent with JK First Lady settling into third and Gias Surreal fourth. The Jim King Jr. trainee rolled to the half in :54.3 and readied for first-over pressure as Gias Surreal edged off the pegs from fourth.

But once Lyons Sentinel clipped three-quarters in 1:21.4, she scooted away from her competition. She strolled through the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths while stopping the clock in 1:48, eclipsing the track and world record of 1:48.1 originally set by My Little Dragon in 2007. Gias Surreal finished second and JK First Lady took third.

Lyons Sentinel, a winner of 14 races from 35 starts and $1,351,186 for owner Threelyonsracing, entered the Artiscape off back-to-back defeats against the breakout mare Racine Bell -- their most recent encounter coincidentally a record-equaling mile of 1:48.1 in the $50,000 Kissin In The Sand final. Joann Looney-King, wife to trainer Jim King, Jr., said in the winner’s circle following the race that her mare is ready for a rematch.

“Oh we’ll take her on; we’ll beat her,” Looney-King said. “There’s no doubt. She’s a good horse; we’ll beat her.”

Aside from their brewing rivalry with Racine Bell, Looney-King said their mare is game for her division’s stakes engagements through the remainder of the season.

“We’re going to get to them all," she said. "As long as she stays healthy and sound, we’ll be there.”

Lyons Sentinel returned $3.80 to win.

With over $2 million to his credit and a world record on his card, This Is The Plan had only one win from 16 starts at The Meadowlands. But thanks to a patient Yannick Gingras steer landing him in a prime striking spot, the 6-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding nabbed his second ‘Big M’ victory in the $113,000 first division of the Roll With Joe.

Gingras floated the speedy Ron Burke trainee to race sixth past a :25.4 first quarter set by Workin Ona Mystery before Angers Bayama vacated the cones from third to seize command. Once on the point, Angers Bayama cruised past a :53.2 half as Captain Barbossa, the slight 8-5 choice over This Is The Plan, tipped first over for the far-turn drive.

Captain Barbossa crept closer to Angers Bayama approaching three-quarters in 1:22. Gingras meanwhile started to tip This Is The Plan to the center of the course and hit another gear with open road, downing Angers Bayama and a resurgent Workin Ona Mystery as that pair finished in a dead heat for second a head back in a 1:48.2 mile.

“Usually he’s good out of a two hole, but I really couldn’t see looking at a program a nice two hole or somebody I really wanted to sit behind in that spot,” Gingras said after the race. “So I figured I could maybe follow Dex [Dunn and Captain Barbossa]. We got lucky and it worked out tonight.”

The victory – No. 17 from 79 starts – bolstered This Is The Plan’s bankroll to $2,272,375 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Lawrence Karr. He paid $5.40 to win.

Captain Kirk capitalized off a quick pace set by stubborn speedsters and catapulted past the field to take the $111,500 second division of the Roll With Joe.

Stars Align A sprinted for the lead to a :26 opening quarter with Beaumond Hanover protecting position for the pocket and 4-5 favourite Backstreet Shadow landing in third. He settled at the pylons briefly before launching a blitz after the lead, but Stars Align A kept him parked to a :52.4 half in front of a strung-out field.

The tempo slowed and the field reeled in the tiring leaders to three-quarters in 1:20.2, with Warrawee Vital the first to pounce for the lead. Beaumond Hanover then shot through a seam at the pylons to take the top all while driver Scott Zeron sent Captain Kirk to the center of the track and blasted off, swooping to the front in the final strides to win by a length in 1:47.4. Warrawee Vital held third.

“He has a really good burst for home consistently, so I was just hoping I could get close enough at the three-quarter pole and turned out we did,” Zeron said after the race. “He’s only had a few starts from a long layoff, and the Luthers prepped him back. He was really strong last week finishing, and that’s all I wanted from that win.”

A 4-year-old stallion by Captaintreacherous purchased earlier in the year by trainer Todd Luther’s Black Magic Racing LLC, Captain Kirk collected his sixth victory from 28 starts and pushed his earnings to $335,220. He paid $16.80 to win.

A LITTLE MORE: Gingras led the driver colony taking two of the five stakes events on the program (both for trainer Ron Burke) and finished the night with three winners overall. Brett Pelling led the trainers with three winner’s circle visits.

The 20-cent Pick-5, which took in $84,529 of action, paid $4,788 after the sequence started with 12-1 and 14-1 shots in races one and two.

All-source wagering totaled $3,067,971, marking the 26th time during 2021 that Saturday wagering topped the $3-million mark from 27 programs.

Racing resumes Friday (July 9) at 6:20 p.m. (EDT).

(The Meadowlands)