Captain Optimistic has gotten his four-year-old season off to a fast start. Literally.

A son of Captaintreacherous-Cinamony, who has divided his time this year between stallion duty and racing, paced the season’s fastest mile to date this past Friday at The Meadowlands, where he stopped the timer in 1:46.4 in a second-round division of the Graduate Series for four-year-olds.

The win was his second in three starts this year, with his first triumph coming in 1:48.1 in an Open Handicap on May 17 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. That time, in Captain Optimistic’s seasonal debut, equaled the track record for four-year-old pacing horses. In between those wins, he finished a dead-heat second in the SendItIn Invitational on May 24 at Philly. Scott Zeron was in the sulky for trainer Nancy Takter in the two most recent starts after Jason Bartlett drove Captain Optimistic in the opener.

“He looks great since he’s come back,” said Zeron, who has driven Captain Optimistic in 12 of his past 13 races dating back to last year’s Little Brown Jug in mid-September. “The conditions were actually kind of ideal last week after rain had passed through so early, but that (1:46.4) performance was a bit of a culmination of his starts this year.

“He started off the year phenomenal, winning in (1):48.1, and then I sat in the two-hole (in the SendItIn), and it didn’t really work out, but he went across the wire so strong. Then he had a week off and I think he came into the Meadowlands race extremely fit and really brave.

“The competition is always going to be tough, but to have him come back the way he did, and to be able to race against four-year-olds for right now, it’s great.”

In the Graduate, over a “wet fast” track, Captain Optimistic went to the lead on the first turn before Papis Pistol took over in a :26.3 opening quarter. Fallout, the 8-5 favourite, was next to the front but Captain Optimistic surged to the top spot from third as he reached the half in :53.2. After reaching three-quarters in 1:20.1, Captain Optimistic kicked home in :26.3 to win by three-quarters of a length over a hard-charging Ayeaye Captain Deo.

“It was a huge effort,” Zeron said. “We’re not going to look to replicate 1:20.1 too many times in a row, but aside from that, it was great to see. I think that’s the first time I’ve won in (1):46. And four quarters in 26 seconds, you’re going fast the whole time. For him to do that, it just shows what he’s capable of.

“He’s pretty tough. Nancy changed some equipment on him the last couple starts and he’s probably steering the best he has in his lifetime. Obviously, when you’re going in a straight line it’s easier to go faster. The goal now is to manage him and lead him into the big races as fresh as possible; it’ll be a team effort with Nancy and I. I’m very excited.”

Captain Optimistic has finished in the top three in 29 of 34 career races, with 14 wins and $1.64 million in earnings. Last year, his victories included three graded stakes: the Cane Pace (G2), Monument Circle (G2) and a division of the Bluegrass (G3). He was second in the Progress Pace and Matron (both G2) and third in the Breeders Crown and Little Brown Jug (both G1).

“He’s a big, strong horse,” said Mike Gulotta, the CEO of Deo Volente Farms, which bought into Captain Optimistic in October and handles the stallion for the Captain Optimistic Syndicate ownership group. “Lots of speed, lots of class, lots of good breeding. Obviously, we bought into the horse thinking he is going to be something special. Three races into the season, he’s won two, come in second once, and has the fastest mile of the year. We can’t be unhappy about that. Every day is not Christmas, but it certainly feels like it so far.”

Captain Optimistic has bred a limited book this year, by design, and it appears to agree with him.

“He’s been breeding, so he’s been having fun all winter going back and forth breeding, training, breeding, training,” Zeron said. “He’s gotten just a little studdier, and his body has gotten a little bit bigger and stronger.”

Captain Optimistic is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line in Saturday’s first of two $50,000 USD Graduate divisions at The Meadowlands. Prince Hal Hanover is the 5-2 favourite for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Dr. Ian Moore. He has hit the board in all six of his races this season, with a win in the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup and a nose loss in the Battle of Lake Erie (both G2). He finished third in the opening Graduate leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park on May 30.

Go Go Grasshopper, who also won a Graduate division last week, is the 4-1 third choice for trainer/driver Joe Bongiorno.

The 3-1 morning-line favourite in the second division of pacers is Fallout, who finished third last week. Tim Tetrick will drive the stallion for trainer Ron Burke.

There also will be two Graduate third-round divisions for the four-year-old trotters on Saturday at the Big M.

Zeron will be behind Delaney Hanover in the second division. The mare made her seasonal debut last week and finished fifth in a Graduate division, timed in 1:50.3 with a :26.3 last quarter. She is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line Saturday behind 8-5 favourite Super Chapter, who won his seasonal debut in the Graduate last week in 1:49.3 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Marcus Melander.

Last year, Delaney Hanover hit the board in eight of 11 races and earned $621,359. Her five wins included the Kentucky Filly Futurity (G1) and a division of the Bluegrass (G3). She finished second in the Delmonica Hanover and third in the Hambletonian Oaks (both G1) for Zeron and trainer Lucas Wallin.

“She’s come back great,” Zeron said. “Unfortunately, her first few starts are going to be against the boys. At least it’s restricted to four-year-olds only, but there’s a lot of brand names in these races.

“But she’s a very fun horse and was extremely exciting to drive last year with the way she closed on so many great horses. We’re just hoping that this year she’s a little bigger and stronger to go faster, and a first start in (1):50 and a piece is a good sign to begin the year. I’m very happy with her.”

The first Graduate division for the trotters includes more of the “brand names” Zeron was referring to: 9-5 morning-line favourite On To Norway with his 27-race win streak, multiple-graded-stakes winner Go Dog Go (at 3-1) and 2025 Breeders Crown champion Meshuggah (4-1).

Racing begins at 6:35 p.m. (EDT) at The Meadowlands. For a free TrackMaster past performance program, click here.

(USTA)