One Bad Night stalked Beginners Luck from the pocket, then blew by him in the lightning lane to score in Saturday’s Holiday Claiming Series for $20,000 male claiming pacers at The Meadows. Poacher N took the other $16,000 second-leg division.
One Bad Night, who was claimed from the opening leg by trainer Bill Rhoades for Rick Senger, had plenty of kick on the “good” surface when Aaron Merriman pointed him to the Lightning Lane. The eight-year-old Badlands Hanover-Onenight At Redhot gelding prevailed in 1:54.1, three-quarters of a length better than Beginners Luck, with Maytime Terror third. One Bad Night now has banked $332,448. It was one of six wins for Merriman, including three for Rhoades, on the 13-race program.
Poacher N had pace but no immediate racing room out of the final turn when Jim Pantaleano found him a seam between horses. The 11-year-old Bettors Delight-The Holmes Legend gelding burst through to triumph in 1:54.2, 1-1/2 lengths better than Marvalous Artist. Believeinthespirit rallied for show. Brandon Presto trains the winner, who now boasts $298,835 in career earnings, and owns with Larry Parlin.
Saturday’s card also featured the second leg of a Holiday Claiming Series for male pacers in for a $10,000 claiming tag, with Stonehouse Adam and Ts Electric capturing the $8,500 splits.
All six current Holiday Claiming Series conclude on a special New Year’s Eve card that also features the career finale of Foiled Again, the richest Standardbred all time with earnings exceeding $7.6 million. First post Dec. 31 is 5:30 p.m.
Elsewhere on the program, Arthur Pendragon moved relentlessly first over at 6-1 to gain the victory -- his third straight -- in 1:52.3 in the $20,000 Preferred Pace. Hawks Red Chief missed by a nose in the Lightning Lane while Phoenix Warrior N completed the ticket. Mike Wilder piloted the seven-year-old I Scoot Hanover-Fancy Trouble gelding, who boosted his career bankroll to $339,567, for trainer Ron Burke and owner Burke Racing Stable.
Dave Palone and Burke each enjoyed a triple.
Following a Christmas break, live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday, when the card features a $1,033.19 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post is 1:05 p.m.
(The Meadows)