More than $250,000 in stakes purses is on the line as five fall series draw to a close Saturday night at Meadowlands Racetrack
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The late-blooming Whats New Pussycat looks to stop Nutmegs Cider from the series sweep in the $46,200 Savilla Lobell for two-year-old filly pacers. The blue-blooded lass has been first or second in four of her six career starts, including a 1:56.1 victory in the first round of the series.
"In her first leg of the Savilla Lobell [Oct. 29], there were 40 mile-an-hour winds that night," said the filly's trainer, Jeff Webster. "We held her first over and as soon as she got away from that, and hit the turn to the final straightaway, I was confident she was going to be okay.
"I don't think she has a whole lot of gate speed," Webster continued. "She has to get lucky and work out a trip. She was very good out in Lexington and I like what she's shown us in the past few weeks. If she's close turning for home she'll be fine."
Whats New Pussycat is a daughter of Art Major out of the 2002 Breeders Crown Mares Pace winner Molly Can Do It. She was a $50,000 yearling purchase by RBH Ventures at the Lexington Selected Sale
"She was kind of erratic in the beginning," Webster noted. "She's a big filly so we had to wait on her, and I think it was the right thing to do. We raced her lightly and really didn't go gung-ho with her. I think she's going to get better. I see a lot more potential for her. Her best qualities are that she can kick home and she finishes strong."
The three-pronged entry of High Noon, Fantaddy and Rockstar Temper heads the field for the companion $52,200 No No Yankee for two-year-old colts and geldings. All three horses won preliminary legs of the series and share common ownership by John Fielding. High Noon and Rockstar Temper hail from the barn of Jimmy Takter, while Fantaddy is trained by Carl Cito Jr.
No Monkeys Allowed bids for the series trifecta in the $57,000 Escort Final for three-year-old colt pacers. The colt showcased his gate speed in round two of the series as he fired out from post nine and wired the field in a career best 1:51.4 clocking. The son of Rocknroll Hanover-Weeping Wanabe has finished first or second in nine of 13 career starts for trainer Ron Burke and owners Joseph Di Scala Jr. and Cynthia Lynn Massari.
Island Terror and P Note Blue Chip are each in position to sweep the $50,400 Stienam's Place for three-year-old filly pacers. After guiding both fillies to their preliminary wins, Tim Tetrick opted to drive Island Terror in the final. With Tetrick in tow, Island Terror wired the field in a career best 1:52.1 victory in the second round of the Stienam's Place Series. The Mark Kesmodel trainee has won seven of 11 starts this season. Jeffrey Bamond owns the daughter of Western Terror-Hawaiianbeachlady.
The $47,400 Paul Doherty Memorial for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters appears to be the most wide open final with no repeat winners. After a flat effort in week one, Classic Son improved with the addition of Lasix last week to post his fourth win of the season in 1:56. The son of Classic Photo picked up checks in the Breeders Crown and American-National finals at age two, but did not make his sophomore debut until late September.
"He had some throat and breathing issues, but they worked on it and he's doing a lot better now," noted Andy Miller, who drives the colt for his brother, trainer Erv Miller, and owners H.W. Wright, Mystical Marker Farms and Peggy Hood.
Click here to view Saturday's entries.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)