The Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds kicked off on Friday, July 4 at The Meadowlands with seven $34,247 leg-one dashes for horses of each sex and gait, and one winner that stood out was a still-learning Diabolic Hill, who scored in the first of three colt-and-gelding trots in the fifth race.

“With a helmet to follow, he was a little bit better,” said winning driver Andy McCarthy. “He’s a naughty boy. He tried to put it over on me. You have to get him straight. He can go pretty fast. He’s bumpy on the turn, he tries to run off the track a little bit, but he’s just a naughty kid.”

The son of Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream raced in the four-hole through first-half splits of :28.3 and :59.1 and picked up a live tow from Spycatcher (Todd McCarthy) to three-quarters in 1:29.1 and around the far turn. He looked a tad bumpy while straightening away for the stretch drive before taking off inside the eighth pole to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Mr Penner (Ake Svanstedt), who failed in his bid to go wire-to-wire. Minoan (Jonathan Ahle) was third.

“He definitely has some growing up to do but continues to show great potential and speed,” said winning trainer Annie Stoebe.

“He’ll learn, he’ll get better,” said McCarthy. “We’ll keep working on him.”

Diabolic Hill returned $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favourite after completing the mile in 1:56.2. Owners Mazza Racing Stables LLC and Stoebe purchased the colt for $405,405 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

There were six more Kindergarten contests on the card.

Ladysassin (Perfect Sting-Dream Chaser), with Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Linda Toscano and M and L of Delaware LLC, took the only filly pace division in 1:53.2. She paid $18.60.

Southwind Alamo (Tactical Landing-Amber Ella) took the second trotting male split for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Ron Coyne Jr., and owners Coyne & Pachuta Stable, Blair Corbeil, Richard Carney, and Mike McAllister. He returned $6.80 in the 1:55.1 victory.

Whos Eyes Blues (Chapter Seven-Behindblueyes) narrowly won the third colt and gelding trot division in 1:56.1 with Yannick Gingras piloting for Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, Hatfield Stables, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The win price was $6.20.

Dax Seelster (Bulldog Hanover-Deb), the first foal of Bulldog Hanover, took the sole pacing male contest in line to Gingras in 1:55. Burke trains the colt, who paid $4.20 to win, for Brad Grant.

Abbey Blue Chip (Tactical Landing-Lima Novelty) led at every station in the first filly trot division for Tetrick and Coyne Jr. in 1:56.2, returning $8 to win. She is owned by Ron Coyne Stables Inc., Corbeil, Edward Pachuta, and Carney.

Waldon Fashion (Walner-Broadway Donna) completed leg one as she bested the second group of trotting fillies in 1:55.4 with Todd McCarthy in the bike for Jim Campbell and owner/breeder Fashion Farms LLC. Her backers received $4.40 for a $2 bet.

Andy McCarthy, Todd McCarthy, Tetrick, Dunn, and Gingras tied atop the driver leaderboard with two wins each, while Coyne and Burke led the trainers as each took a pair of walks down victory lane.

Followers of Big M TV’s Jessica Otten had smiles on their faces – and green in their pockets – at the end of the night. Otten tabbed nine winners on the card, including her best bet Dax Seelster ($4.20) and value play Blue Point ($12.60), and then, for good measure, had the Late Pick-4 twice, giving her faithful a return of $290.60. 

All-source handle on the 15-race program totaled $2,465,754. Racing resumes Saturday at 7 p.m. with a pair of $230,000 USD Stan Bergstein Graduate Series finals as the featured events.

(With files from The Meadowlands)