Canadian campaigned Be Perfect BG kept her undefeated record intact with a devastating 1:50.1 score over six rivals in the $246,575 New Jersey Sire Stakes final for two-year-old pacing fillies on Friday, Aug. 1 at The Meadowlands, knocking one and three-fifths of a second off her previous lifetime mark and equalling the season's fastest mile for a two-year-old pacer.

Driver Dexter Dunn took his time with Be Perfect BG early in the race, yielding to track the tandem of Perfect Thought (Scott Zeron) and Napalm (David Miller) from third through a :27 opening quarter before activating the Perfect Sting-JK Mardi Says filly with five-eighths to go. After clearing Perfect Thought for command midway up the backstretch, Be Perfect BG travelled unopposed through middle sectionals of :54.4 and 1:22.4 before willingly shifting gears and opening up a three-length lead off the final turn. She used :27.2 stretch speed to seal her fifth victory in as many starts and evade a mild late rally from Napalm by a measured 2-1/2 lengths. Perfect Thought tired after being headed for second in mid-stretch and finished third, another 7-1/4 lengths in arrears.

"When she came to us, she was a nice, good-sized filly, well put together," said Ontario-based horseman Anthony Beaton, who took over the training duties of Be Perfect BG after she won the first race of her career at Hippodrome 3R for owner Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que. "She's been nothing but exceptional since we got her; she keeps getting better and better every week."

Be Perfect BG increased her career earnings to $166,803 with the victory. As the 1-5 favourite, she paid $2.40 to win.

In the co-featured $308,219 New Jersey Sire Stakes final for two-year-old male pacers, Sonofanutcracker withstood a barrage of pressure -- including two separate challenges from runner-up Rocknacious -- to lower his lifetime mark to 1:51.2.

The pair threw down in a :27 first-quarter duel, with second-leg winner Sonofanutcracker and driver Andy McCarthy using the entirety of the first turn to work clear of Rocknacious (Zeron). Upon reaching the backstretch, Sonofanutcracker found himself in the crosshairs of first-leg winner Reincarnated (Joe Bongiorno), who pressed forward to stick a neck in front and engaged Sonofanutcracker through a :55 half after floating forward in the two-path on the first turn. Reincarnated failed to clear and a resolute Sunofanutcracker reclaimed control of the terms with seven-sixteenths to go, only for Bookie J (Dunn) to circle stalled cover on the far turn and take his shot past three-quarters in 1:23.4. Sonofanutcracker shrugged off Bookie J's bid at the eighth pole and then repelled a second challenge from Rocknacious, who wedged out of the pocket with 150 yards to go, to prevail by a diminishing half-length. Bookie J preserved third, another 2-3/4 lengths behind, after levelling off.

"He just came along steady," said trainer Tom Cancelliere of the Nutcracker Sweet-Rob Them Blind colt. "He's still a little green, but when they came alongside of him, he fought them off tonight, so that was good. I thought we were in trouble; they were coming strong."

Sonofanutcracker, who has won twice and earned $178,327 from four starts, competes as a homebred for John Cancelliere. He paid $6.20 to win.

On the Friday night undercard, there were seven $34,247 leg two divisions of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of each sex and gait. 

Trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt tripled up in the trots including a sweep of the colt divisions with Magic Punk (Wishing Stone-I D Entity No) scoring in a lifetime-best 1:54 and Mr Penner (Captain Corey-Wet My Whistle) in a maiden-breaking 1:54.2 mile. His filly winner was Busy Miss Lissy S (Calgary Games-Hills Angel S) in a lifetime-best 1:56.1 to stay unbeaten in three career starts.

The other filly trot went to the  Domenico Cecere trainee Denarius (International Moni-Treviso), who won at first asking in 1:55.2 with Dunn driving.

Dunn also drove pacing filly winner JK Fierce Lady (Captaintreacherous-JK First Lady) to a lifetime-best 1:53 triumph, winning for the second time in as many starts, for trainer Nancy Takter.

The other filly pace was won by the maiden-breaking Amira Hanover (Papi Rob Hanover-Ameraway), trained and driven by Joe Bongiorno, in 1:52.2.

In the colt and gelding pace, the Noel Daley-trained Signal Caller (Captaintreacherous-Square Dancer) earned his first lifetime win in 1:51.2 in rein to Andy McCarthy.

On the eve of the Hambletonian, a $41,096 division of the Continentalvictory for three-year-old trotting fillies was won by Best Story Ever, who opened up five lengths at the end of the career-best 1:53.4 mile with a :26.4 kicker. The Chapter Seven-Nixie Volo filly was driven by Andy Miller and trained by Julie Miller.

Dunn led the driver colony with four wins on the 14-race card. Svanstedt’s three walks down victory lane paced the trainers. 

All-source handle on the 14-race card totalled $3,144,276 USD.

Racing resumes on Saturday, Hambletonian Day, at noon, with a spectacular 16-race program that features the 100th edition of the $1 million Hambletonian.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)