Apparently, a three-win night on Friday at The Meadowlands wasn’t enough to satisfy Hall of Fame driver Yannick Gingras, who came right back on Saturday, Dec. 9 to guide four to victory lane with three of those wins coming with trainees of Ron Burke.
The 44-year-old pilot clicked with Sugar Me N in the third race. The six-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou-Revere Me, a beaten favourite in two straight, once again had the confidence of the betting public, and this time delivered, hitting the wire first in 1:51.1 in the $20,000-$30,000 claiming handicap pace for trainer Burke.
As the even-money public choice, Sugar Me N returned $4 to win.
Homestretch Wes gave Gingras his second victory in the fifth race. The 2-1 second choice ($6.60 to win), dropping in class from $20,000 claiming pacers to the $15,000 level, scored in a lifetime-best 1:52. The six-year-old gelded son of Well Said-Ladyfield was trained by Richard Johnson.
Beach Cowgirl, a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Stonebridge Sundae (pictured above), took the sixth race $20,000 conditional pace for three-year-old fillies in a lifetime-best 1:49.4 despite being a little rough-gaited early on.
“I figured she was the big favourite,” said Gingras. “I thought she was the best filly in the race and she proved it. She got a little bumpy on me going into the first turn. After that, it was clear sailing.
“We were sprinting pretty hard [through the stretch] and [second-place finisher Talk Curdy To Me] was giving her best, too, but I felt pretty confident and was just trying to keep her brave while not asking too much.”
Beach Cowgirl, a Burke student, returned $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favourite.
Gingras and Burke teamed up to take the eighth, a high-end conditioned trot, with the speedy Lexus Kody, who went all the way in 1:52.2, to cap the Burke-Gingras triple. The five-year-old gelded son of Archangel-Lexus Helios paid $3.40 as the 3-5 public choice.
CARRY ME FIVE TIMES: Saturday night marked the fifth consecutive time that the 20-cent Pick-8 failed to yield a winning ticket, creating a carryover of $35,785 when racing resumes on Friday. Those with seven winners collected $880.30.
The Pick-8 begins nightly in the fourth race and concludes in the 11th. Free past performances for every race of every Meadowlands card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
ANDY ‘SOARS’ IN FEATURE: Andy McCarthy guided Soaring Now to a thrilling 1:48.3 score in the $23,000 featured high-end conditioned pace.
“We ended up getting a cozy [pocket] trip,” said McCarthy. “But he had to work there in the stretch.”
Soaring Now, a four-year-old son of Jk Endofanera-Sunflower who hails from the Noel Daley barn, got past the speedy South Beach Star nearing the wire to record a head win as the 7-5 favourite, returning $4.80 to his backers.
All-source handle totalled $3,063,536, the 56th time from 83 race cards in 2023 where betting bettered the $3-million barrier.
Live harness racing resumes on Friday at 6:20 p.m.
(with files from The Meadowlands)