Bettor Sweet went straight to the head of the class for the Graduate final with a gutsy elimination win Saturday night at Meadowlands Racetrack

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Bettor Sweet attached first over, put away St Elmo Hero after a lengthy duel and gamely held on for a 1:50 victory in the $50,000 headliner on a 14-race card. Driver John Campbell steered Bettor Sweet to his second victory in six starts this season. Atochia surged late to finish a half-length behind in second while Won The West tracked the winner to grab third. Bettor Sweet returned $21.40 in the 10th race tussle for older pacers.

Also advancing to the $246,000 Graduate final on May 14 are Dial Or Nodial (fourth), We Will See (fifth), Hypnotic Blue Chip (sixth), Lisagain (seventh). They will be joined by Foiled Again, Giddy Up Lucky and Western Shore, who received byes into the final.

Bettor Sweet paced a 1:47.2 world record for a four-year-old gelding in his elimination for the Graduate in 2009. The six-year-old gelded son of Bettors Delight-Sweet Future has yet to win the final. Tom Cancelliere trains the career winner of $1.4 million for his brother, John, of Clark, New Jersey.

"After I saw him [win] the American-National [last November], I knew he had that kind of tenacity once he gets rolling," Cancelliere said.

The effort was a brilliant rebound for the pacer, who made an uncharacteristic break in stride in his start prior at Pocono Downs.

"I think that was partially my fault; I should have changed his shoes with that track," Cancelliere said. "The track was cuppy that night and he just jumped right out of gear."

Earlier in the evening, Looking Hanover squeezed through late on the pylons to win the $40,000 prep for the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial.

Driven and co-owned by Yannick Gingras, Looking Hanover sat third off soft fractions carved out by Enough Talk and got up to best the pocket-sitter Corleone Kosmos by a neck in 1:53.2. Hot Shot Blue Chip finished third, a half-length behind them. Looking Hanover paid $31.20 to win the fifth race feature for older trotters.

Trainer Ed Gannon and his wife, Dawn, purchased the then three-year-old for $10,000 at the 2008 Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and he has since won $468,775 for them. Gingras bought a half-interest in the gelded son of Muscles Yankee-Lady Bar in the fall of 2009. Looking Hanover now sports a record of 19 wins in 86 career starts and a total bankroll of $513,596.

The field for the $200,000 Cutler final on May 14 includes Buck I St Pat, Celebrity Hercules, Corleone Kosmos, Dont Know Chip, Enough Talk, Hot Shot Blue Chip, Looking Hanover, Lucky Jim, Neighsay Hanover and Slave Dream, who did not compete in the prep race.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)