In each of his last three starts – two resulting in victory and one a third-place finish – Dunbar Hall came from way back, so it figured that in Friday night’s featured $42,000 Preferred Handicap for trotters at The Meadowlands that the plan would pretty much remain the same.
But driver Yannick Gingras had other ideas.
The 42-year-old pilot, who will be inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in seven months, put the seven-year-old gelded son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Debbie Hall – much to the surprise of The Big M faithful – on the lead and the change in tactics worked after Dunbar Hall held off a late charge from the always-closing Gotwuteverittakes to win in 1:51.4, just two-fifths of a second off his lifetime best.
“I had the idea in my head if I could get some early speed out of him,” said Gingras. “He’s usually a little sleepy behind the gate but I scored him down a little harder tonight. He was definitely awake. I don’t think he could have raced much better.”
Dunbar Hall and Gotwuteverittakes were away alertly from posts four and five, respectively, in the talented seven-horse field, while 3-5 favourite Chin Chin Hall, in search of a second consecutive win in the track’s weekly trotting headliner, was pushed wide into turn one and had to take back to sixth.
Cutting out fractions of :27.2 and :56.1, Gingras wanted to keep things rolling through the third quarter, hitting the beam in 1:24.1 to keep as much real estate as possible between him and Chin Chin Hall, who was mounting a rally after following cover down the backside.
But in deep stretch, it wasn’t Chin Chin Hall who threatened, but the pocket-sitting Gotwuteverittakes, who came fast nearing the wire, only to come up a nose short. Chin Chin Hall finished third.
“I was trying to get away from Chin Chin Hall,” said Gingras. “So we went a good third quarter. I knew I had something left for the last quarter.”
Jeff Cullipher trains Dunbar Hall for owners Pollack Racing and Cullipher, and now has 29 lifetime wins from 109 starts, good for earnings of $596,388. As the 2-1 second choice in the wagering, he paid $6.60 to win.
BIG BALLOONS: The seventh race was a special event where five Big M regular drivers took on five pilots from the GSY Amateur Driving Club, and the results left a few patrons with big smiles on their faces.
Corey Callahan won it with 34-1 shot My Big Kadillac from the pocket, keying a $1,328 Exacta, $15,448 Trifecta and a Superfecta that came back $26,057 for one thin dime. GSY drivers Todd Whitney and Bob Hechkoff finished second and third, respectively, at odds of 13-1 and 18-1.
A LITTLE MORE: Gingras was firing on all cylinders, guiding five to victory lane on the card. Not surprisingly, he drove all three of trainer Ron Burke’s winners. … Callahan recorded a driving triple. … All-source handle totalled $2,653,314. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
(With files from The Meadowlands)