Fresh off a stellar Delmarva Pacing Series where he won two early legs and finished second in the finale, Bellator cruised to a wire-to-wire triumph in a new late closer series that began Thursday at Colonial Downs.
Trained by leading conditioner Stacy McLenaghan, Bellator faced five others in the $4,000 first leg of the Juniors Pacing Series, open to non-winners of three races. The four-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding hit the quarter fractions in :26.1, :55 and 1:23.1 before crossing in a new life mark of 1:51. He set his prior best of 1:53 in the Delmarva’s first leg on opening week.
Even though Bellator wired the field, driver Jason MacDougall had to fend off pocket tripper Hotunderthecollar, who got a smart drive from Jeff Nisonger. The runner-up finished just a length shy at the wire. Cabrera, another McLenaghan trainee, took third.
A second straight summer-like day in New Kent resulted in eight new life marks being recorded during the ten race program. The new grade earners were Jans Pride (1:55.1), Berto Adalina (1:57.4), Rapid Tempo (1:57.2), Bellator (1:51), Heaven Is For Real (1:54.2), New Yorks Best (1:57.2), Jailhouse Bride (1:56.2) and Racin Best (1:52).
(Colonial Downs)