The stars were out this morning at The Meadowlands as the New Jersey oval hosted 19 qualifying races under clear skies. With the Breeders Crown eliminations scheduled for next weekend, many among those entered in the qualifiers were looking for some work to hone their edge for the championship events.
There was a considerable homestretch head wind when the qualifiers began on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. that dissipated as the day wore on, and on. Larry Fox was at the mic to call the action.
Harness racing's No. 1 ranked horse, four-year-old pacing mare Twin B Joe Fresh has been a Grizzly all season and there was no letting up today as the double millionaire smoked around the oval in 1:52, pacing home in :26.4, in the Dexter Dunn grips while facing a considerable head wind. She may deserve, as her Thoroughbred Grizzly counterpart Thorpedo Anna got in the Travers Stakes, a shot at the boys before year’s end. A win in the Breeders Crown Mare Open is fifth in line for invitations to the FanDuel Open final. Chris Ryder has done a remarkable job to hold her form since May with the daughter of Roll With Joe on a nine-race roll. Valar Dohaeris and AVF Claire were valiant in defeat behind the winner.
Maryland has taken three top freshman trotting stakes, the William Wellwood and Peter Haughton Memorials then the Mohawk Million, in his last three starts to pick up more a million dollars for his ownership group under the card of trainer Marcus Melander. This morning, Dunn took the opportunity to race the Chapter Seven colt from behind and he rallied up late in hand to be a closing second to another nice Chapter Seven colt in New York stakes winner Karinchak, who set all the fractions and held safe easily in 1:55.2 for driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Ray Schnittker. Maryland's win in the Peter Haughton stakes at Hoosier Park last month provides him with a bye into the Breeders Crown final and to draw for his post position with the elimination winners.
Two-year-old trotting filly Shes A Shoe In has collected some impressive hardware as late, including an upset win the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final for the MacDonald/Schnittker combo, and she was given a tightener this morning, following the well-bred Conversano (Muscle Hill-Celebrity Ruth) around the oval and finished second to that one. Conversano has shown flashes of brilliance for her connections and the sister to Celebrity Bambino put it together nicely this morning for Scott Zeron and trainer Juan Cano with an impressive 1:56 score, home in :28.3 while never asked. Torrisi also went well this morning, closing nicely through the stretch to just miss second.
Five accomplished freshman pacing fillies teed it up in race five and the combination of trainer Cano and owner Hot Lead Farm struck right back with their homebred Papi Rob Hanover, Pennsylvania Stallion Series winner Gigglingonthebeach, who sat just off the lead then closed inside to get the win in 1:54.1 for Andy McCarthy. Kentucky Golden Rod champ Faze did most of the work, pressed to a :56 middle half by Kentucky Championship Series final winner Miki And Minnie; she fought that one off but just got snapped inside late.
Race seven had a juicy field of two-year-old colt pacers with impressive resumes and Bruce Saunders’ good Cattlewash colt Manolete wore down mile-cutter Papis Pistol right at the light to get the 1:52.2 nod for Todd McCarthy. Captain Optimistic had good late pace in a successful prep.
Freshman pacers Makes Sense and Sugar Man went right to the wire together with the former getting the slight nod in a contentious eighth race for Andy McCarthy and trainer Robert Cleary. The pair of Papi Rob Hanovers moved on the outside in tandem then squared off, with Makes Sense holding sway narrowly over his rival with both colts driven out in 1:52.3, home in :27.3. Fusion actually had the best foot finishing, conservatively raced and sent up the inside in a useful effort.
Oh Well looked great again for trainer Marcus Melanders and driver Todd McCarthy. The good-gaited four-year-old trotter certainly has got great style and has won major stakes while collecting $1.7 million, with the sense that there’s even more there. He crushed an overmatched group today in 1:55.
Dave Miller sent O'Brien Award-winning trotter T C I out fast for the Ron Burke barn today and kept rolling in his first start on Lasix. The three-year-old winner of $1.9 million had some of his old snap back, blasting along through even numbers while well in front throughout to win in 1:53.2, home in :28 pretty much on his own. He wasn’t in by himself either as Daquiri Hanover and Supernova Hanover, both stakes winners, were left in his wake.
Voukefalas, a four-year-old Mike Russo trainee on the verge of the million-dollar earnings mark, sharpened up with a largely front-running effort in 1:52.4, pacing home in :27.4, with Jordan Stratton in the bike. Seven Colors showed snap, rallying up the inside late to narrow in on the winner.
World champion Ruthless Hanover put on one of his speed shows, winning in 1:49 off a half in :56, and, as always, he looked great doing it. The seven-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding paced strong right through the wire with a :26.4 end to the mile for driver Andy Miller the Cancelliere brothers -- trainer Tom and owner John. Oakwood Ardan IR got a little detached behind slower, then paced right up to Ruthless Hanover in the stretch with Andy McCarthy keeping him on Miller’s helmet right through the wire in a bravening trip.
Three-year-old pacing filly Caviart Belle, driven by Gingras for Takter, perked right up today upon her return to The Meadowlands, storming first-up to take the lead off the last turn then drawing away from a good group of her peers through a 26-second last quarter for the 1:52 score impressively. Stonecoldtreachery, Tarrific and Hunting Hula all acquitted themselves well in the winner’s wake.
The glamour boys showed up for race 18 and last year’s Breeders Crown winner Gem Quality proved dead game for Gingras and trainer Chris Ryder to hold his rival, Little Brown Jug champ Captain Albano, off by a nostril in 1:51.3. Both were held off a controlled pace with Gem Quality first-up to leader Captain Bazinga and Captain Albano tracking that move. They went right to the wire in sub :27, which arrived just in time for Gem Quality to hold safe. Captain Bazinga held up well under the circumstances.
Live harness racing returns to The Meadowlands next Friday, Oct. 18 with the eliminations for the Breeders Crown. Post time on that day is 12:30 p.m.
For complete qualifying results, click here.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack; Photo of Twin B Joe Fresh from a previous win at The Meadowlands)