Annieswesterncard earned a hefty bankroll while racing in the shadows of the sophomore class last year, but on Saturday night he steps into the spotlight as a top free for all candidate in the $200,000 Graduate Final

at Meadowlands Racetrack.

In his first Meadowlands appearance against older horses, Annieswesterncard flew home to finish just a nose behind 2009 Older Pacer of the Year Won The West in their Graduate elimination. The four-year-old son of Western Hanover, trained by Joe Seekman, will start from post three in the Graduate Final with Ron Pierce in the sulky. His competition will also include the gritty veteran Shark Gesture, who is approaching $2 million in career earnings.

"We were in against some tough horses here last week, but Ronnie [Pierce] put him in the right spot up near the front," Seekman said of Annieswesterncard's Graduate elimination effort. "He obviously knows this horse well, and when he looked over to see no inside speed, he left for early position. I had confidence in him and I had him pegged for second or third.

"Of the top two, Shark Gesture is the one I fear the most by the way he looked last week," he continued. "I mean, we were right on the wire with Won The West. We've got the draw [post three in the final]. Now the trip needs to go his way again. Also, he's a four-year-old facing older horses and he's certainly no Art Official [Seekman's $2 million champion].

"I figured if we can find the right spots with him, we can rack up another half a million with him this year. Now that we've had a horse like Art Official, he's a measuring stick. If we treat Annieswesterncard right as a four-year-old, we can expect even more from him at five and six. Of course, he's a gelding, so he'll be around for a while."

Sawgrass Farms' Annieswesterncard earned more than $400,000 while racing in a division dominated by Well Said, whose victories in the Meadowlands Pace, North America Cup and Little Brown Jug garnered him 2009 Pacer of the Year. Although just four of Annieswesterncard's 23 starts in 2009 were over the Meadowlands track, his biggest victory of the season was an in the $230,000 Berry's Creek. His other stakes win was the Monument Circle at Indiana Downs.

"As a three-year-old, he came back early to win the Berry's Creek," Seekman noted. "Ronnie gave him a great trip [second over] and there was his big kick again in :26.3. He likes to come off somebody's back and power home like that. All year long he was with them. He didn't shine, but he stayed with them. He was a little better when we steered away from the top colts and we picked up a lot of cash that way. Plus, in races like the North America Cup, he drew post nine and couldn't get involved. But he was second in the American National and had a productive plug-along year.

"The horse has always had high speed for an eighth of a mile," he continued. "As a two-year-old, he won a division of the Elevation at Indiana Downs in 1:50.3 with a :25.3 final quarter. If he's covered up and treated right, he'll respond. We definitely tried to race him accordingly with these later years in mind, but we were also looking to make money with him when his sun was shining."

This season, Annieswesterncard has finished first or second in six of 10 starts. He was the runner-up in both preliminary legs and the $90,000 final of the Spring Pacing Championship at Woodbine in April and posted his first victory of the year with a 1:53 score in the invitational at Hoosier Park on April 17. He failed to hit the board in his two starts prior to shipping to New Jersey.

"This year, he came back strong, and finished a good second to Dali in the Spring Championship Final at Woodbine," Seekman said. "He does well up there [Woodbine], yet he doesn't really have a track preference. He ships with no problems and adapts well. At Hoosier Park, there were some brutal winds and it was tough sledding. His previous two miles there weren't as bad as they might look. The draws there killed him and there was a strong wind blowing into their face in the stretch."

Seekman is stabled on his own farm in Centerville, MI and races primarily on the mid-west circuit. However, his name is firmly engraved in the Meadowlands' history books after Art Official's stunning 1:47 world record upset over Somebeachsomewhere in the 2008 Meadowlands Pace.

"I realize nobody stops talking about that race, the 2008 Meadowlands Pace," he smiled. "In fact, it was brought up this morning in the barn here."

Ryder, Prushnok In The Sulky This Weekend

Trainer Chris Ryder will sit In The Sulky on Meadowlands Racetrack's Friday pre-card broadcast, while Lucky Jim's co-owner David Prushnok will take the hot seat on Saturday.

Fans can e-mail questions for them to answer on-air to [email protected].

(The Meadowlands)