Laughandbehappy sailed to victory in the $89,000 Cape and Cutter final on Friday night at Meadowlands Racetrack
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Laughandbehappy bull rushed Red Star Hottie for the lead in a swift :54.4 half and rebuffed a game Ideal Newton en route to a 1:51.4 clocking. Driven by David Miller, Laughandbehappy paid $3.60 to win the sixth race feature. Cuz She Can rallied late to finish a length and a half behind in second, while Go On BB grabbed third.
"I wanted to be the last one to the lead," Miller said. "Getting away [fifth] and the way everybody was moving, I figured I'd have to go some to get [to the lead]. She got an easy third quarter and she had enough to get home. [Ideal Newton] took a run at us, but my mare felt strong. She kicked off at the top of the stretch and had enough."
Laughandbehappy has won four of five starts this season for trainer Jeff Webster and co-owners Let It Ride Stables, Mentally Stables, Robert Cooper Stables and Jerry Silva. Eric Cherry, who races as Let It Ride Stables, purchased the five-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover for $55,000 in November 2009. She earned just under $150,000 during her 2010 campaign, which included victories in the White Ruffles and Night Styles Series finals at the Meadowlands. Lifetime, Laughandbehappy has won 24 of 37 starts and $271,035.
Some Girls Do kept her perfect 2011 record in tact with a 1:54.2 score in the $49,000 Tender Loving Care final.
With Brian Sears at the lines, Some Girls Do sat second through a tepid :28.3 opening quarter before sprinting to the lead down the backstretch. She led the field through middle fractions of :57.3 and 1:27 and drew clear as looming threat Sagebrush Susie went off stride in the sprint to the wire. Mystical Diva was second best, while Hello Camie, the winner's stablemate, recovered from an early miscue to finish third.
"My filly obviously had a few steering issues, but we straightened those out and she raced real well tonight," Sears said. "She raced super off the pace last week. Tonight, we had to move her back to the front. It's a little breezy out there, but she was able to handle it."
Some Girls Do, trained by Ron Burke, is four-for-four this season. The daughter of American Ideal-Village Green was a private purchase last November by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Earl Smith and Frank Baldachino.
"We acquired her right around the Harrisburg Sale," noted co-owner Frank Baldachino. "A friend of mine, Pat Russo, watched her go for me in the fall. [Trainer] Tom Brinkerhoff had her. They're [Brinkerhoff and previous owner Brad Wallace] more of a breeding operation and they brought her along well.
"She has the Night Styles Series coming up and we paid her into some bigger events thinking she has the ability to be a Grand Circuit filly," Baldachino added.
Ideal Nectarine ($4.20) delivered on her pari-mutuel promise in the $27,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace featured on the Friday night undercard. The homebred six-year-old Western Ideal-Armbro Nectarine mare won by a neck over Farmers Tuition in 1:52.4 for driver David Miller, trainer Ken Rucker and owner D. R. Van Witzenburg.
The next round of winter series finals at Meadowlands Racetrack will be contested on Saturday night. Watch what Andy Miller (Summer Camp), Brian Sears (Meirs Hanover) and others have to say about their chances in the $64,200 Exit 16W, $78,000 Aquarius and $68,000 Junior Trendsetter finals.
Click on the following link to view Friday's harness racing results.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)