Keystone Edge wore down Rockstar Temper in the final strides to win the first of three $15,000 No No Yankee second leg divisions for two-year-old colt pacers Friday night at Meadowlands Racetrack
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The colt capitalized on a perfect pocket trip behind the 1-9 favourite to break his maiden in 1:53.1. Sent off at 35-1, he paid $72.40 to win the third race with 19-year-old Montrell Teague in the sulky. Keystone Edge was a $10,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by Teague's father, trainer George Teague Jr., Ted Gewertz and Vip Internet Stable.
"He was really good tonight but I didn't expect to win," Montrell Teague said. "He kept with the pace the whole time though. We were third last week and I wasn't too familiar with [Keystone Edge]. I just put him on the front because I didn't think I could hold him, but he was perfectly fine this time. I think our chances are really good for the final. Before the final [on Nov. 20], we're just going to give him some time off and train him up a little bit."
John Fielding's Fantaddy wired the field in the second No No Yankee division with David Miller at the lines. Coming off a 10-week layoff, the gelding rolled to his first career victory in 1:52.4. Carl Cito Jr. trains the son of Bettors Delight-Lifetime Member, a $72,000 yearling purchase at Harrisburg.
"I wasn't surprised that he raced that well," Miller said. "[Carl Cito Jr.] told me that this horse can go and he can beat them. I believed him because Carl doesn't just say stuff like that, he knows what he's talking about. I had a little trouble getting in with him behind the [starting] gate. I couldn't get him to move over. He was locked up on the head pole, so we had the restart. Once I got him in behind the gate he was fine, and he won pretty easily."
Get Down Tonight pounced off brisk early fractions to take the third No No Yankee division in 1:53.2. Driven by Jim Marohn Jr., Get Down Tonight sat a garden trip behind Southwind Milo, who tore through opening splits of :26.4 and :55.4 before locking up with Fancy Footwork through a third quarter in 1:25. Get Down Tonight angled out in the lane and surged past the tiring leader to post his first win in three starts for Joseph and Paul Vance, who purchased the son of Red River Hanover-One Dimension for $16,000 at the New Jersey Classic Sale.
"He got stronger since last week and he just keeps getting better," Marohn noted. "I think if he puts up the same effort he did in tonight's race in the final, we'll have a shot."
Nutmegs Cider was a repeat winner in the companion Savilla Lobell Series for fillies. Yannick Gingras steered the daughter of McArdle-Decider to a career best 1:54 victory. She has now won four of 12 career starts and just under $50,000 for trainer Ron Burke and owner Irv Bork.
Adam Victor & Son Stable's Kill A Rockingbird rallied late to win the other Savilla Lobell division in 1:53.3 with Andrew McCarthy at the lines. Noel Daley trains the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-La Dolce Hall, who posted her first win in her eighth career start.
The Paul Doherty Memorial Series for three-year-old colt trotters also continued Friday night. Classic Son, making his first start on Lasix, rebounded from a flat effort the previous week to win the first of the two $15,000 splits in 1:55. Andy Miller guided the colt to his fourth victory in seven starts this season for trainer Erv Miller, his older brother, and owners H.W. Wright, Mystical Marker Farms and Peggy Hood. 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," Andy Miller said.
Syenite held off a late charge by Dont Badger Me to win the second Doherty Memorial split in 1:55.2. Driven by Tim Tetrick, Syenite pressured the leader Oh No Its Steveo on the final turn and drew clear after the 4-5 favourite broke stride at the top of the lane. The son of Credit Winner-Syrinx Hanover improved his record to four wins in 15 career starts for trainer Mark Ford and owner Lenore Fazio.
"It was a very nice effort," Tetrick said. "The horse drives well, has good manners and a good way of going. He's got a quick brush and he used it to his advantage in the third quarter. I thought I could beat Oh No Its Steveo even before he broke. I knew I had to get at him and not let him ease around the turn because he really struggles there."
The No No Yankee, Savilla Lobell and Paul Doherty Memorial finals will be raced on Saturday, Nov. 20.
Meadowlands Weekend Replays To Air Sunday On TVG
TVG has rescheduled air times for this weekend's Meadowlands replay shows to Sunday at 9 a.m.
The shows were rescheduled due to TVG's extensive coverage of the Breeders' Cup. The Friday replay show will air from 9 to 9:30 a.m., followed by the hour-long Saturday program from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Fans can also watch free Meadowlands replays online by registering with RaceReplays.com at http://www.racereplays.com/mlands/.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)