For the second straight week and fourth time in his last five outings, For Once Inmy Life was back in the winner's circle, scoring in the $34,286 high-end conditioned pace at The Meadowlands on Saturday, Jan. 25 for Team Stratton.
Jordan Stratton is a low-key guy who stays away from being too boastful, but the driver who won four races to top the driver colony on the Saturday night card couldn’t help but crow a little about For Once Inmy Life.
“I think my horse is probably the sharpest horse on the grounds right now,” said the 37-year-old driver.
In a field reduced to six starters after one scratch, Chase H Hanover, Brue Hanover and For Once Inmy Life were all away from the gate alertly. For Once Inmy Life, the 1-2 favourite, had the lead while parked at the quarter in a soft :28, and offered no resistance as 2-1 second choice Spring Inhis Step A popped out of the four-hole and with a quick burst of speed had the top at the half in :56.
There wasn’t much action heading to three-quarters, which was timed in 1:24, but there was shortly thereafter. As the field straightened away for the final three-sixteenths of a mile, Stratton moved For Once Inmy Life from the pocket and sailed past Spring Inhis Step A with ease on the way to a decisive 1-3/4-length score in 1:50.4 after sprinting the final quarter in :26.4. Spring Inhis Step A held second in a good effort in his first pari-mutuel start since Dec. 28, while Chase H Hanover was third.
“I just kind of played [the trip] by ear,” said Stratton. “I wanted to be close to the front. I was pretty confident [at the top of the stretch].
“I think he was always meant to be a good horse. He’s just coming into himself right now.”
The five-year-old gelded son of Downbytheseaside-Flyme To The Moon is owned by Winters Racing Stable and trained by Stratton's brother. For Once Inmy Life, who has been first or second in seven Big M outings since his Nov. 30 arrival, returned $3 to his backers after winning for the 10th time in 45 lifetime starts. Victorious in two straight and four of his last five, he now has lifetime earnings of more than $400,000
A carryover of $28,744 USD enticed bettors to pour $183,943 USD of “new money” into the 20-cent Pick-5 pool for a grand total of $212,687 USD.
Unlike the Friday night sequence that created the carryover, winners’ odds on Saturday were a more reasonable 6-1, 17-1, 3-2, 13-1 and 1-5. There were 66 winning tickets exchanged for $2,787.26 USD after the Ron Burke-trained, Yannick Gingras-driven Antognoni S scored as the heavy public choice in the payoff leg (race five), ending what turned out to be a de facto Pick-4.
Jordan Stratton’s followers had two big hits on the night. Two of his winners went off at odds of 3-2 and 1-2 while the others were sent to the gate at 17-1 and 56-1.
There were no winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $5,153 USD for when racing resumes on Friday, Jan. 31 at 6:20 p.m. The Pick-6 is offered on races eight through 13.
All-source wagering totalled $3,325,548 USD on the 14-race card, the biggest night of business thus far in 2025 at The Big M.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)