The Exit 16W Pop-Up Series has put a jolt of excitement into the Thursday-night programs at The Meadowlands, and Hey Porter had the most spring in his step among the trotters as he won the richest division, carrying a $40,486 purse, on Thursday, Dec. 11.
In the division for trotters who were winners of four but not more than seven pari-mutuel races, Hey Porter worked out an ideal pocket trip to take down 1-2 favourite A Real Legend (Jason Bartlett), who was looking for a second consecutive victory. After Hey Porter led at the quarter while parked in :28.2, driver Brett Beckwith allowed A Real Legend move past him for the lead. Hey Porter sat right behind the favourite through :56.4 and 1:25 splits and all the way until mid-stretch, when he then had enough room along the inside to shoot through for a two-length win in 1:52.4, lowering his previous lifetime best by 2-1/5 seconds. A Real Legend held second with Scudo Hanover (Braxten Boyd) third.
“Last week was a tougher trip first-over,” said Beckwith of when A Real Legend bested Hey Porter by a length. “Tonight, it was a better trip. We got to follow Jason [Bartlett], and when my horse got clear, he exploded. My horse, he’s a Cadillac, he loves his job. He won that race with the [ear] plugs in.”
As the 7-2 second choice, Hey Porter returned $9.40 to his backers. The three-year-old gelded son of Bar Hopping-Chelsees A Winner is trained by Enrico Robinson for Pollack Racing LLC and now has six wins from 25 lifetime starts and earnings of $335,987.
The winners of the $34,722 Exit 16W divisions for winners of two but not more than four were Clear For Landing ($4) in 1:54.2 for Beckwith and trainer Per Engblom and Bourbonista S ($9.20) in 1:54, who took her first win in North America with Jonathan Ahle aboard for Noel Daley.
Big Ego won the faster of two pacing divisions for two- and three-year-olds that are non-winners of $34,722 lifetime, taking the $33,125 event for males in 1:52.2. The three-year-old son of Captain Crunch-Kiss Me pressed to the lead, legging it outside past the quarter in :28 before yielding to Rider Hanover (Beckwith) en route to the half in :55.4. After sitting the pocket to three-quarters in 1:24.2, Big Ego swung three-wide for Braxten Boyd off the final turn and bolted to a two-length victory. Rider Hanover was second over Watchfire (Jacob Cutting).
Big Ego has now won four of 13 starts in his debut season and has earned $50,162. Thursday's victory was his first appearance for owners Amanda Fine, Ralph R Silvestri III, and Rose Colangelo, who acquired him after his win on Dec. 4. Fine trains the gelding. He paid $6.40 to win.
She Stings ($6) won the division for fillies in 1:52.3 for Beckwith and Cory Stratton.
Braxten Boyd sat atop the drivers' leaderboard at night’s end with four winners. Per Engblom topped the trainers with a pair of walks down victory lane.
Followers of Big M TV’s back-paddock interviewer Joe Romanelli wore out a path to the windows, as "Joe Ro" correctly selected six winners, four exactors, two triactors, and one superfecta on the card. Romanelli’s best bet Clear For Landing scored in the seventh, paying $4, while his best price of the night came in the ninth with Hey Porter, who paid $9.40.
Despite the relatively low odds of the winners — 2-1, 9-2, 2-1, 2-1, 1-1, 1-1 and 7-2 — there were only two winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7. The payout was a handsome $3,047.14. All-source handle on the 12-race program totalled $1,428,708. Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.
(With files from The Meadowlands)