Cedarridgetag has been well traveled to say the least since November, making stops at Vernon Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Harrah's Philadelphia, Monticello Raceway and The Meadowlands.
This week's stop on his 'East Coast' tour was wind-swept Buffalo Raceway and it was well worth the trip as Cedarridgetag ($40.00) stunned the field in Friday’s $10,500 Open Trot with a 3-3/4 length victory over R As Shakenbake in 2:01.3.
Studio City (Kevin Cummings) had set the tempo in the race with panels of :29.3, 1:00, and 1:31.3 but it was Cedarridgetag and driver Truman Gale who tipped three-wide past the three-quarter pole and blew past the pacesetter, cruising to the comfortable win down the stretch. A 30-second last quarter over the ‘good’ track solidified Cedarridgetag's seventh career win.
R As Shakenbake (Ron Beback, Jr.) broke stride going down the backstretch the final time and looked out of it but he but managed to get back on gait and impressively closed to take the place position. Heavily-favoured Southwind Warsaw also broke but couldn't recover in time to be a factor late.
Cedarridgetag (Tagliabue-T W Linda) is a six-year-old gelding owned and trained by Scott West and Katie Currie. It was his second win in as many starts on the season and moved Cedarridgetag's 2014 earnings to $8,350.
(Buffalo Raceway)