Women Layer ground out a first-over ascent and sprang a 17-1 upset with his 1:48.2 score in the $192,569 first division of the Grade 2 Sam McKee Memorial on Saturday, Aug. 8 at The Meadowlands while Captain Albano fought off a bevy of late pursuers for a 1:48.3 victory in the $194,306 second section of the annual event for Open pacers.

Women Layer, a four-time winner this year in Open company at Eldorado Scioto Downs, let the dust settle early from post two in line to catch-driver David Miller. The pair sat third through a :26.4 quarter before commencing their first-over bid as 9-5 second choice Captain Optimistic (Andy McCarthy), who retook up the backstretch before briefly yielding control to 7-5 favourite Lou Hill (Yannick Gingras), pulled the half back to :55.

"It was a bit of a chance moving him first-up that early, but he felt strong on the line," said Miller. "And when I asked him in the stretch, he took right off."

Women Layer picked up the pace on the far turn and ground forward to force Captain Optimistic to quicken to three-quarters in 1:21.4 before seizing the lead at the eighth pole. After putting away Captain Optimistic, Women Layer used :26.2 stretch speed to evade a host of high-priced late pursuers, prevailing by a diminishing head in a blanket photo finish. Captain Moore A (Todd McCarthy), off at 45-1, hooked four-wide out of midfield and rallied for second; Surreal Ideal (Mike Wilder), off at 47-1, closed belatedly from last to just nab Ken Hanover (Tim Tetrick) for third, missing by just a half length. 

Virgil Morgan Jr. trains Women Layer, now a 30-time winner with $1.3 million in career earnings, for the partnership of Let It Ride Stables of Boca Raton, Florida, Jeff Fought Racing of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Larry Wills of Columbus, Ohio and Jesmeral Stable of New Rochelle, New York. He was bred by Carl Howard.

 The fourth choice in the eight-horse field, the five-year-old Sweet Lou-Loreenas Ruffian gelding paid $37.80 to win.

In the second division, Captain Albano and catch-driver James MacDonald floated forward from post eight and were parked from midfield on the first turn as For Once Inmy Life (Jordan Stratton) slingshot clear of Catalpa Rescue A (Matt Kakaley) to control a :26 first quarter. Captain Albano braved the breeze and advanced gradually to clear command midway up the backstretch, but was stung to a :54.1 half before facing a stern first-over test from 3-1 favourite and fellow double millionaire Bythemissal (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) through the far turn.

After being pressed to three-quarters in 1:21.4, Captain Albano dug deeper through the final furlong, driven out to withstand a swarm of challengers across the track and prevail by a neck. Prince Hal Hanover (Todd McCarthy) lifted four-wide to narrowly nab Bythemissal for second.

"Any time you get to sit behind a [multi] millionaire on Hambo Day, it's pretty special," said MacDonald, who drove Captain Albano for trainer Noel Daley. "It's great to get the job done.

"Halfway down the lane, when one looked him in the eye, that's when you see greatness. Maybe he's not as great as he was earlier in the year, but he's all class and found a way to get it done today."

Now a 30-time winner, Captain Albano, a five-year-old Captaintreacherous-Angelou stallion who took the MGM Borgata Pacing Series championship earlier this year, has earned more than $3.3 million in his career. He is owned by Patricia Stables of Massapequa, New York, L A Express Stable of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, Sjoeblom Racing of Delray Beach, Florida and Michael Dolan of Sarasota, Florida. Frederick Hertrich bred the winner.

He paid $12.20 to win as the 5-1 fourth choice.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)