The puzzle that was the featured $38,000 Open Pace at The Meadowlands Saturday night (Nov. 27) turned out to be an easy one to solve, as Workin Ona Mystery blew away six overmatched foes during a thoroughly dominant 1:48.4 mile.
“I had the best horse I thought, short odds, and the inside three horses were kind of leaving for position, so it was pretty clear for me to get to the lead,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick. “From there, it was kind of my job to cut honest fractions.”
Workin Ona Mystery, who knocked heads with the Captain Crunches and Bettors Wish-es of the world during the glamour boy three-year-old colt and gelding pace stakes-race tour of 2019, has been getting his act back together of late and was simply superb, cutting fractions of :27.1, :54.3 and 1:22 on the way to an easy 1-3/4-length score — his 14th from 42 outings. My Pal Joe closed well along the pylons for second while Bee Two Bee outlasted 5-2 second choice Let It Ride N for third.
“He’s really rounded into form in his last few starts,” said Tetrick of Working Ona Mystery’s second-place finishes to Captain Barbossa (in a conditioned event) and Allywag Hanover (in the TVG Open Pace) in his last two outings. “[Trainer] Ronnie [Burke] has him going really well now. He’s really improving.”
A five-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-Dragons Tale who is owned by Burke Racing, Milton Leeman, Alan Keith and Wingfield Brothers, Workin Ona Mystery paid $3.20 to his backers as the 3-5 public choice while lifting his lifetime bankroll to $804,289.
SEE YOU ON THURSDAY: Thursday racing returns to The Meadowlands on Dec. 2. First-race post time is 6:20 p.m. Thursday racing will also take place on Dec. 9.
LARRY THE LEGEND: One of the most popular race callers of this or any generation will be making an appearance at The Big M when live racing resumes.
Larry Lederman, who has been the announcer at Freehold Raceway, Garden State Park, Atlantic City Race Course and others during his career, will be on the microphone when racing takes place on Thursday at 6:20 p.m.
DOUBLE CARRYOVER: For the second straight race card, there were no winning tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick 6, meaning that when racing resumes on Thursday (Dec. 2), there will be a carryover of $20,096 to get the pool off to a big start. Those who correctly selected five winners cashed in for $96.90.
Free past performances for all Meadowlands programs are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
A LITTLE MORE: Tetrick led the driver’s colony with three winners, while Andy McCarthy and Yannick Gingras both registered a pair of victories. Gingras finished the weekend with six winner’s circle visits. Todd McCarthy did not drive on the card as he suffered a sprained ankle after taking a spill Friday night. He hopes to be back at The Big M on Thursday.
All-source handle totaled $2,195,914.
(The Meadowlands)