Classic Lane and driver Mike Lachance never saw the pylons en route to an impressive 1:52 victory

in the $100,000 Perretti Farms Matchmaker for trotting mares Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

Classic Lane worked her way up the outer tier as 1-5 favorite Buck I St Pat took command from Lantern Kronos after a 54.4 first half. Classic Lane [$24.80, $9.20, $10.20] easily powered past Buck I St Pat at the head of the stretch and held off Stage Show [$23.20, $25.80] by a head. Up Front Hotsey [$47.60] rallied off a ground saving journey for third. Classic Lane's clocking was one-fifth of a second off the 1:51.4 track and world record for a trotting mare shared by Queen Serene (2008), Peaceful Way (2005) and Beat The Wheel (1994).

"She didn't have much gate speed," Lachance said. "By the time Buck I St Pat got to the lead it was way past the half, so I just had no other choice but to grind on the outside. She's at her best doing that, using her grinding speed. The filly is awfully sharp right now. She's at the top of her game. In the last turn, I knew I was going to get by Buck I St Pat. I thought I could get beat by someone else with an easy trip, but she held on. That was an awfully big mile, 1:52 flat, and she never saw the rail. She's got a nice gait and she's such a big, powerful mare. There's a lot to her."

It was the fourth straight win for Classic Lane, a 4-year-old daughter of Lindy Lane-Heartland Classic. The Ed Lohmeyer trainee won the $314,862 Classic Series Final on June 13 at Mohawk. Lifetime, Classic Lane has won 13 of 30 starts and $545,945 for Robert and Lauren Tucker of Glen Gardner, NJ.

In addition to the $50,000 winner's share of the purse, Classic Lane earned a free breeding to one of the elite stallions at Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge, NJ.

(NJSEA)