Although accomplished in completely different fashions, Saturday’s co-featured pacing events at The Meadowlands both ended with Marcus Miller in the winner’s circle.
Miller, recently named the U.S. Rising Star Award winner, put heavily favoured Parnu Hanover on the front end past a :27.2 opening quarter and blazed to a 1:50.3 victory in a $13,000 conditioned pace. The time was even more impressive on a cold and snowy night in New Jersey that had the track rated with a -2 track variant. Parnu Hanover won by a length over Sassy Hanover with Mister Truth rounding out the trifecta.
“It worked out exactly as I wanted it to,” said Miller. “I wanted to move to the front sometime before the half and make them catch me. He went the mile I hoped he would.”
Parnu Hanover is trained by Erv Miller and shared in ownership by the Erv Miller Stable, Alva Miller, and Sara Miller. His ninth career win moves his lifetime earnings past $100,000.
Two races earlier, a wild stretch drive saw 24-1 outsider Preparty slip up the pylons to upset a field of conditioned pacers for Jim Marohn Jr. However, the judges ruled that Preparty gained an unfair advantage by going inside a pylon and disqualified him. That moved Moonwriter, driven by Miller, into the win spot at 11-1.
Millionaire Alexie Mattosie was intent on the lead with Drew Monti and parked out Ontario Success through a half-mile in :55.1. At the top of stretch, Pansformative swung three-wide around a tiring Ontario Success. Moonwriter followed that move with Ashleys Husband gearing up with his patented stretch drive. Preparty stayed inside and just got up under the wire first in 1:52.1 before being placed ninth.
Moonwriter is trained by Andrew Harris and co-owned by Harris and Michael Gallicchio of Beachwood, New Jersey.
For the first time in 2017, the 20-cent Jackpot Super High Five was hit in the fifth race for $7,236.80. Stratocaster, at 30-1, stormed to the lead just before the wire to win followed by 3-2 favourite K Lees Shakenbake and 8-1 Dreamlands Art. At 35-1, Sky Is The Limit was fourth and 9-2 Barimah was fifth to round out the single winning ticket.
Stratocaster was one of two huge longshot winners driven by Marohn, who finished the night with a hat trick. He came back to win the 11th with 55-1 Baggage Claim for trainer Patti Harmon to become the second $100-plus winner of the weekend after Abbijade Hanover won Friday at 54-1.
Greg Merton, Vinnie Ginsburg, and Bill Mann also posted driving doubles.
Total handle for the 13-race card was $2,348,381.
Live racing resumes next Friday.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)