Four $25,000 divisions of the Snow Angel Series were served up as part of the Thursday evening program at the Meadowlands, with three-year-old pacing fillies duking it out in the opening leg of the three-week event.
Sent off as the odds-on choice, Apere Hanover was a convincing winner in the opening division for the duo of trainer Monte Gelrod and driver Tim Tetrick. The daughter of The Panderosa halted the teletimer in 1:53.2.
Tetrick brushed his charge to the top shortly after bypassing the quarter pole, and the pair didn’t look back from that point on. A :27.2 final quarter was more than enough to seal the deal over Haunted and Thumbprint.
Dennis Young, Steven Held and Joe Pavia Jr. pay the bills on the eight-time winner, who has put together a 5-2-0 record in 18 starts this season. She has banked $82,568 to date.
Thong Song took a perfect record into the second split, and thanks to a :27.2 final frame she managed to extend her undefeated streak to four for the Miller brothers – driver Andy and trainer Erv.
The Art Major miss, who kicked off her career with three straight wins at Balmoral Park, was an impressive winner in her debut at the Meadowlands. She tracked cover from third over before sailing by the field in the closing strides en route to a 1:53.4 score.
Natalie, who set most of the speed, was a neck back in second. Clandestine rallied to finish third in the eight-filly affair.
Riverview Farms, Michael Sofer, John Fodera and R A W Equine share ownership on the career winner of $19,650.
Four Starz Melody was a popular winner in the third division for driver David Miller, who had the daughter of Sealed N Delivered on the point at every call for trainer Vincent Fusco Jr.
The filly ripped off fractions of :27.2, :56 and 1:24.2 before kicking out a :28.1 final frame to post the win over a hard-closing Honey Dreams. To The Point took home the show dough.
Owned by Four Starzzzz Stable LLC of Hauppauge, NY, the pacer improved to 8-2-0 in 15 starts this season while pushing her career bankroll to $91,685.
Ramona Disomma delivered on an even-money to her backers in the final division for the duo of trainer Jacob Hartline and driver Andy Miller. The Pacific Fella filly used a strong stretch kick to stop the clock in 1:53.1.
It was the fifth consecutive victory for the pacer, who defeated runner-up E Q Three and third-place finisher Four Starz Horndog.
Bred and owned by Anatolia Racing Stable Inc. of Hopewell Junction, NY, Ramona Disomma won for the eighth time this season in 31 tries. The lion’s share of the purse puts her lifetime earnings at $101,488.
The second leg of the Snow Angel Series goes next Thursday evening at the Meadowlands, with the $50,000 (est.) final scheduled for Saturday, December 20.
To view Thursday’s results, click here.