After learning earlier this month that Daylon Magician would be racing in the U.S., his debut from the Mark Ford barn was sure to garner attention. However, it was another trotter making headlines with a scorching qualifying effort on Saturday morning.
Starting from Post 9 in his first start for Ford, driver David Miller settled Daylon Magician in the pocket behind world record holding trotter Quick Deal (Yannick Gingras). That five-year-old son of Revenue S had made breaks in his last two starts at Yonkers, but was on his best behaviour on Saturday morning. Through three consecutive panels in the 28-second range, Quick Deal kicked home in :27.3 to trip the timer in 1:52.2. Daylon Magician trotted home in :27.4 and was three lengths back, individually trotting his mile in 1:53.
To put the time of the mile in perspective, speedy pacer Hurrikane Kingcole -- with multiple sub-1:48 miles to his credit -- also qualified on Saturday morning, in 1:54.1.
Trained by Ron Burke for New York-based owners Our Horse Cents Stables of Clifton Park and Rossie Smith, Greenville, Quick Deal was a nine-time winner in 2013 -- including an impressive three-race win streak in the Fall where he won all of his races by no less than 11 lengths. His 1:53.2 win at Yonkers in early November set his name in harness racing's record books as the fastest ever for an aged trotting gelding on a half-mile oval.
To view the full set of charts from Saturday morning's Meadowlands qualifiers, click the following link: Saturday Qualifiers - Meadowlands Racetrack.