The opening leg of the Presidential Series got underway on Saturday evening at The Meadowlands, with a pair of $50,000 divisions on tap for some of the top older pacing horses in training.
The first split went to Beau Rivage N, who roared home to trip the teletimer in 1:50.2 for driver Eric Goodell and trainer Peter Tritton. It was the sixth lifetime score for the seven-year-old son of Village Jasper.
Beau Rivage N sat last for most of the mile while Noble Falcon laid down fractions of :26.4, :54.3 and 1:22.2. The pacesetter was stalked in the middle stages of the mile by odds-on favourite Soul Chaser, who eventually fizzled and finished up the track.
Goodell came charging from the back of the bus with Beau Rivage N, who used a :27.1 final frame to win by a nose over Psiluvuheartbreaker. It was a head back in third to Noble Falcon.
Harry Von Knoblauch’s Beau Rivage N, who was sent off at odds of 25-1, upped his lifetime earnings to $149,398.
Winbak Speed won much to the delight of the favourite players, who sent the pacer off as the 1-2 choice. The six-year-old son of Village Jove came first over and drew away from the competition in a sharp time of 1:50.2. Shark Gesture rallied to finish second and Special Report was third.
Ron Pierce engineered the winning trip with the gelding, who is 2-for-2 to start the season for co-owner/trainer Wayne Givens and his partner Neil Gargiulo of Milford, Delaware. The pacer is now a 22-time winner with earnings in excess of $389,000.
Round two of the Presidential Series is scheduled to go next Saturday evening at The Meadowlands, with the $125,000 (est.) final slated for Saturday, January 24.
To view Saturday’s results, click here.