Despite having taken two weeks off, the red-hot Pappy Go Go pushed his winning streak to three after taking the $37,500 Preferred in 1:52.2 over a track rated 'good' with a -1 variant, missing his lifetime best by just two-fifths of a second on Saturday (Jan. 25).
The Andrew Harris trainee never had an anxious moment after being sent to the gate as the 8-5 favourite in the talented field of seven. Driver Corey Callahan–who won five races on Friday’s card–hit the gas pedal early with the six-year-old gelded son of Tad The Stud-Paging Willy from post 7 and made the front while parked at the quarter after a headstrong Misslarose yielded the top in :27.2.
Pappy Go Go trotted easily through the second fraction while unpressured in :27.3 as Misslarose sat the pocket. Morairtime, who was so good winning eight days ago after going a first-over trip, was in gear making up ground while racing on the rim uncovered.
After three-quarters was reached in 1:23.4, Pappy Go Go accelerated, opening a three-length edge at the head of the stretch on the way to an easy three-and-a-half-length score. Morairtime was second with Misslarose third.
“I wasn’t worried about the layoff at all,” said Harris. “He’d been prepping every week in between. They just didn’t have a Preferred for him, so hopefully, horses start entering so I can race him a little more.”
Is Pappy Go Go the type of horse who can go with the game’s best? “I don’t have any big dreams for him,” said Harris. “He’s a nice open horse, but realistically, I can’t spend money staking him to go against the likes of Manchego and Atlanta. So, we’ll race in the Preferred and try to keep him happy and fresh and being the big fish in the pond until the floods come later.”
Pappy Go Go returned $5.40 to his fans and has now won 32 of 83 outings, good for earnings of $249,547 for owners Michael Goldberg Racing.
ANOTHER GIANT MILE: The Robert Cleary-trained Harambe Deo went parked for a little more than the final half-mile and had no trouble blowing away his foes in the pacing feature, a high-end conditioned event with a $31,250 purse. The five-year-old gelded son of Woodstock-Tea Time, who was the 8-5 favourite, stopped the clock in 1:50.4 with Tyler Buter in the bike to win for the third time in his last five starts. McThriller finished second, one-and-a-quarter lengths behind.
A LITTLE MORE: Tim Tetrick had the hot hand, leading the driver colony with four winners. Buter, Drew Monti and Vinny Ginsburg had two apiece.
The 20-cent Survivor Pick-10 failed to pay at least $3,000 for an eighth straight time, but it came close, as three players lasted eight legs and cashed in for $2,611.98.
The 20-cent Can-Am Pick-4 came back $175.32, the key to cashing being Leg One, when Heza Thrill N won at Woodbine Mohawk Park at odds of 7-1.
All-source handle totaled $2,667,043.
Racing resumes Friday (Jan. 31) at 7:15 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)