Jordan Stratton was seen in the presence of some pretty haughty company Saturday night (Feb. 23), taking both halves of Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 co-features with favoured millionaire Meladys Monet ($4.70) and favoured double millionaire Bit Of A Legend N ($3.80).
The weekly marquee trot — handicapped — was not a fair fight, with Meladys Monet moving first-up early and striding out late. Away fifth from post position 5 (in one notch after a defection), Meladys Monet was out and moving in the second turn to go after Fearless Man (Jason Bartlett).
That one led through quick early intervals of :27.1 and :56.4, but was heading the wrong way by the 1:26.1 three-quarters. Meladys Monet took over soon thereafter, opening 2-1/2 lengths entering the lane. He finished it off by 2-1/4 lengths in a season’s best 1:55.3.
Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Dubé) couldn’t match strides with the winner but did get into second, with Mostinterestingman (Austin Siegelman), DWs NY Yank (George Brennan) and Lilys Swan Pond (Joe Bongiorno) settling for the minors.
For Meladys Monet, a 10-year-old Revenue S gelding owned by Melady Enterprises and trained by Hermann Heitmann, it was his second win (54th career) in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $28.40, the triple returned $115.50 and the superfecta paid $369.50.
There weren’t many styles points for Bit Of A Legend N in the week’s blind-draw adult pace. From post position 2, he went the distance through splits of :28, :57.2, 1:25.1 and 1:53.1, holding sway over a stubborn Don Domingo N (Matt Kakaley). The latter tried it first-up from third.
The margin was a short head in 1:53.1. Imarocnrollegend N (George Brennan) was third from the pocket, with Bettor Memories (Bartlett) and Shneonucrzydiamnd A (Jim Marohn Jr.) rounding out the payees.
For Bit Of A Legend N, a 10-year-old Down Under son of Bettors Delight owned by Von Knoblauch Stables and trained by Peter Tritton, it was his first win (47th career) in a pair of 2019 tries. The exacta paid $13.80, the triple returned $44.80 and the superfecta paid $182.50.
(Yonkers Raceway)