Ideal Matters made his first step on the Road to the $1 million Meadowlands Pace with a stunning 1:53.3 victory in his career debut Sunday afternoon
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With Tim Tetrick in tow, Ideal Matters fired off a :25.4 final quarter to win the second race by 1 3-4 lengths over B Street Smart. The colt stamped himself ready for primetime with a pair of impressive morning qualifiers in which he put up final quarters of :26.2 (finished second, Feb. 4) and :26 flat (won in 1:55.4, Feb. 12) leading up to his 2010 debut. Trained by Noel Daley, Ideal Matters is being pointed toward the $1 million Meadowlands Pace, the track's signature harness racing event for 3-year-old colt pacers, on Saturday, July 17.
"He always had the ability, but had a sore ankle last year and it came at just the wrong time," assistant trainer Mike Vanderkemp said.
The son of Western Ideal-Art Matters Ideal Matters was a $60,000 yearling purchase at the 2008 Lexington Selected Sale by Brittany Farms, Adam Victor & Son Stable LLC, Melvin Hartman and John Fodera.
"He'll be staying here at the Meadowlands through the summer," trainer Noel Daley said. "He is eligible to everything, including the Berry's Creek [May 8] and Matt's Scooter Series in April."
To view Sunday's results from the Meadowlands, click here.
(Meadowlands)