Delaware ship-in Anders Bluestone came flying home late to prevail over the Ron Burke entry and earn his fourth straight win in the $30,000 Invitational Trot featured at the Meadowlands Racetrack Friday night
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Last year's Maxie Lee champion entered the race fresh off three wins against Dover Downs' top trotters and was dubbed the slight second choice from Post 9 while Meadowlands' reigning Invitational winner Take My Picture took top bidding amongst the betting public.
With Ron Pierce in the bike, Anders Bluestone settled away sixth while Burke entry Equity (Matt Kakaley) took control of the 10-horse field. His lead was short-lived though as the pocket-sitting Rose Run Hooligan (Tim Tetrick) swept to command past the :28 first quarter mark.
Aisling (David Miller) took his shot next from third and cleared the lead at the :56.4 half-mile juncture. From there, the other Burke entry, Hava Kadabra (Yannick Gingras), tipped to the outside and applied pressure to the leader as they passed the third quarter station in 1:26.1.
Hava Kadabra, a close runner-up and winner in the last two Invitationals, trotted on by Aisling at the top of the stretch and drew away by nearly two lengths, but Anders Bluestone came flying home late from second over to nip him by a nose in 1:54.4 over the sloppy track. Equity finished five lengths back in third over Rose Run Hooligan and Take My Picture.
Anders Bluestone paid $8 to win for the 25th time in his career. The Yankee Glide-Annette Hanover six-year-old is conditioned by Eric Ell for owners Ken Wood and William Dittmar Jr. His now boasts $668,475 in lifetime earnings.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Meadowlands Racetrack.