Golden Receiver led the field at every call and gamely hung on by a neck to capture the $110,500 Presidential final on a blustery Saturday night at the Meadowlands
Racetrack.
Never headed in the three Presidential rounds, Golden Receiver held off late charges by Annieswesterncard and Blatantly Good to complete the series sweep in 1:49.1. The seven-year-old son of Village Jove, driven by Brian Sears, paid $3 to win the 10th race headliner.
“No question, that’s a really good mile out there tonight,” Sears said. “He was in hand in the prelims. I knew we were going to have to be really aggressive [tonight]; that’s just the style that he races. The wind was a little tough out there tonight and he raced game. It was a great effort and I’m just glad to have gotten it done.”
Golden Receiver, trained by Mark Harder, posted his 40th win in his 100th career start and increased his bankroll to $763,983. Nina Simmonds of Binghamton, New York bred and co-owns the gelding with Stephen Springer, Richard Taylor and Stable 45 (Marcia Gingold and Eugene Kurzok).
Favourites also prevailed in the Complex and Clyde Hirt finals. Itrustyou, one of six winners for driver Yannick Gingras and one of five for trainer Ron Burke, extended his streak to 10 races in the $74,000 Complex. One of four entrants trained by Burke, Itrustyou equalled his 1:50 lifetime mark. Special T Rocks came first up and drew off to by two lengths to win the $73,000 Clyde Hirt Stake in 1:51 for driver, trainer and co-owner Daryl Bier and partners Forrest Bartlett and Joann Dombeck.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)