River Shark flew out of the gate and coasted wire to wire for an easy win in the $22,500 second leg of the Robert J. Suslow Stake

Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

With driver Daniel Dube in the bike, River Shark held off the challenge of 4-5 favourite Glad To Be Back after driver George Brennan made a backstretch brush right before the three-quarters pole. The two locked in a duel with River Shark prevailing and taking the night’s third race in 1:51.4. Ok Braveheart and John Campbell finished second and Glad To Be Back flattened out for third.

River Shark has now generated $76,159 in lifetime earnings for owners David Sabatelli of Westtown, New York, Aaron Waxman of Brantford, Ont. and Carmine Fusco of Duryea, Pennsylvania. Sabatelli also trains the three-year-old son of Four Starzzz Shark.

River Shark will attempt a series sweep in the $70,000 Robert J. Suslow Stake final scheduled for next Saturday, April 18.

For the second straight week, the ‘Sharks’ ruled at the Big M. Millionaire pacer Shark Gesture converted a pocket trip into at $31,500 score in the weekly Invite.

Driven by Tim Tetrick, the six-year-old son of Cams Card Shark surrendered the early lead respectfully to the favoured Maltese Artist (Brian Sears), who lead the field through panels of :26.3, :56.1 and 1:25.1. At the third quarter check in, Montecito N (George Brennan) moved first up from fourth but down the stretch Shark Gesture, the 2-1 second choice, moved wide and pounced on his rivals flying home in :26 to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.2.

Montecito N was the runner-up with longshot Blue Claw (John Campbell) closing well to finish third ahead of Maltese Artist.

Larry Remmen handles the training duties for owners Norman Smiley of Boca Raton, Florida, Gerald Smiley of Cote Saint-Luc, Que. and the T L P Stable of Kearny, New Jersey. The win was Shark Gesture’s third of 2009 lifting his seasonal bankroll to $77,700.

To view Saturday's results, click here.

(With files from NJSEA)