B Yoyo produced an “A-Plus” performance to pull off a minor upset in the $18,000 featured trot on Friday at the Meadowlands.
Crosbys Clam Bake left for the lead while odds-on favourite Muscle Diamond was content to take back to last through an opening quarter mile in :27.2 and a half mile in :56.3.
Past the half mile, B Yoyo and Joe Bongiorno pulled first over, giving Muscle Diamond and John Campbell a lively tow in the outer flow.
As the field passed three-quarters in 1:25.3, B Yoyo powered to the lead as Crosbys Clam Bake backed up. Muscle Diamond came three-wide and began his charge after B Yoyo, but was unable to make up enough ground as B Yoyo scored in 1:53 at nearly 6-1 odds in the compact field of six.
“The strategy was to get away close and sit close, but in the first turn I could see he felt way better than he has in prior starts and that’s why I moved him first over,” explained Bongiorno, who entered the week third in the Meadowlands' driver standings. “He wasn’t bumpy in the turns tonight and when he’s like that he can trot with any horse.”
Opulent Yankee finished third with Classical Annie, Crosbys Clam Bake and War Cry Hall rounding out the order of finish.
B Yoyo won for the 26th time in 122 career starts with earnings of $309,995 for owners Bill Lambos and Dionisios Liberatos. He is trained by Richie Johnson.
Brett Miller scored a driving hat trick while Vinnie Ginsburg and trainer Jackie Greene combined for a pair of wins. Miller leads the driver standings with 76 wins.
Total handle on the 11-race card was $2,171,919.
Live harness racing resumes Saturday with a 12-race card. Bring your sweetheart to The Meadowlands on Saturday night and parlay a delightful buffet dinner at Pink into getting lucky at the races.
Saturday's feature race is the seventh, $15,000 final of the "Race for the G-Notes" pacing series. The two repeat winners bookend the field with battle-tested 11-year-old warrior Giddy Up Delight starting from the rail versus relative upstart Gravelsinmytravel from post ten.
Giddy Up Delight is another in a long line of accomplished war horses campaigned by the crack training team of Jennifer Lappe and John Kokinos. The pair specialize on the classy old vets and have remarkable success keeping them healthy and happy, resulting in quality performances. Giddy Up Delight has earned in excess of $637,000 in his career and was a comfortable winner in both series legs, the faster in 1:52.1 for driver Brett Miller. Patrick Laiso shares ownership on Giddy Up Delight with Kokinos.
Gravelsinmytravel came to The Meadowlands last fall having spent the summer campaigning at Running Aces in Minnesota and has adapted nicely for trainer Patricia Minnella. He won both of his series starts in 1:51.3, equaling his career best for driver John Campbell. The six-year-old is owned by his breeder, the Van Otterloo Stables of Rock Valley, Iowa.
Saturday night's Valentine's Day Pink buffet is enhanced by complimentary champagne and the chance to win a romantic trip. Simply fill out the entry form located in the Live Racing program and two lucky winners will be drawn after Race 7 to receive a fun, romantic trip for two.
(with files from The Meadowlands)