Deshawn Sample must have forgotten to check the tote board, because 44-1 shots aren’t supposed to win with the ease that Second Bruiser did in the fifth race on Friday night, Jan. 24 at Meadowlands Racetrack.
But Sample and claiming pacer Second Bruiser fired to the top and led at every call on the way to a three-length romp in 1:54 in the $15,714 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Race, an event that featured five African-American drivers among the field.
Sample was elated at winning, and was pumped as an African-American to compete in a race that honours the greatest civil rights advocate in American history.
“My horse was strong,” said Sample. “It means a lot to compete in this race [honouring Dr. King]. I travelled from Delaware to be here. It means a lot to the Black guys.”
Second Bruiser, a seven-year-old Believeinbruiser gelding, is trained by Williams Hernandez and owned by Julia Eaton. The former Ontario Sires Stakes winner earned his first Meadowlands victory and returned a whopping $90.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Queen Of America S had little trouble overcoming post nine, as well as 2-1 second choice (and stablemate) Finite, in the evening's featured sixth race, a $25,000 conditioned trot.
Sent to the gate as the 1-5 public choice, Queen Of America S left alertly before taking a brief tuck around turn one, then followed Finite down the backside. Queen Of America S had the lead while parked at the half in :56.4. After clearing, the five-year-old daughter of Father Patrick then trotted past three-quarters in 1:25.1 before a final panel of :28.3 finished off an overwhelming 5-1/4-length romp in 1:53.4. Finite finished second with 143-1 shot Bright Expectation third. The top two finishers are trained by Ron Burke.
Queen Of America S paid $2.60 after winning for the second time since her arrival on American soil for owner Panamera Racing.
“She’s a really nice mare,” said winning driver Yannick Gingras. “They just got her from Sweden. Ronnie was high on her. So far, so good. She’s delivered.
“I figured we could take the lead and take it from there. It was the move to make. I got away fairly close. The hope [is to take on the better trotters later in the year]. I think she’s going to keep improving. It was pretty easy on her tonight. It’s a big step to take to go to the higher levels, but I think she has the ability to do it.”
Gingras had but four starts on the card, but made them count, as he led the driver colony with three victories.
When five of the first seven races had winners' odds of at least 14-1, it came as no shock that there will be a nice-sized carryover for 20-cent Pick-5 fans when racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m. The Pick-5 is offered on races one through five.
Bombs went off in each of the first three dashes as 75-1 shot Heartlandbanysbro ($154.40 to win), 27-1 Rockinwiththebest ($57.40) and 14-1 Concur ($31) got the night underway. In fact, a carryover was already assured at the conclusion of the third race. After 2-1 second choice Starlit Rambo ($6.20) took the fourth, another bomb exploded after the aforementioned 44-1 Second Bruiser ($90.20) won the fifth.
The carryover of $28,744 could entice bettors to wager as much as $100,000 of “new money” into the Saturday Pick-5 pot. Were that to happen, there would still be a “negative pool,” a scenario in which winning tickets would return more than what’s wagered. Carryovers are not subject to the already low takeout of 15 per cent.
All-source handle on the 14-race program totalled $2,573,639 USD.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)