Trolley continued his dominance of the top class at the Meadowlands – the $21,000 Preferred Handicap – winning the Big M's weekly trotting feature for a fourth straight start on Friday night.
The Erv Miller student faced a tough task. The Ron Burke-trained In Secret was seeking his fourth straight win, and after Trolley sped away from the gate to grab the lead around the first turn, Yannick Gingras then moved In Secret to the top.
The half-mile marker was hit in :55.4 with In Secret (the 2-1 third choice) on the point, Trolley in the pocket and 9-5 second choice Sutton, who was making his seasonal debut, sitting third.
On the far turn, rather than wait for the stretch drive, Marcus Miller popped Trolley out of the pocket just before the three-quarter-mile marker and went after the leader, securing the top with a quick move with three-sixteenths of a mile to go.
Through the lane, Trolley showed his foes why he’s the “King of the Meadowlands,” easily going on to a one-length win in 1:52.4. Rail-sitters Sutton and Two AM rallied to get second and third, respectively, as In Secret weakened to fourth.
After winning his previous start as the 2-5 choice, Trolley’s followers were rewarded Friday with a $4.40 win payout for the 6-5 favourite. The six-year-old son of Donato Hanover-Lakeside Bride, who has now won six of his last seven outings, won for the 15th time in 29 career starts (52 per cent), good for earnings of $334,459 for owners Michael Anderson, Leland Mathias, Greg Gillis and Louis Willinger.
A LITTLE MORE: Four drivers recorded driving doubles on the card: Dexter Dunn, Gingras, Pat Berry and Anthony Napolitano. … Wagering in the 50-cent Pick-4 came close to the $100,000 mark, as a total of $98,085 in action was taken. … All-source wagering on the 13-race card totaled $2,690,822. … Former Big M standout Brett Miller drove his 8,000th career winner on Friday, taking the $25,000 first edition of the Howard Beissinger Memorial Medley at 1-1/4 miles at Miami Valley Raceway. … Racing resumes at the Big M Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)