Friday at The Meadows turned up dreary with temperatures in the low 40s, hardly the ideal climate for track records. But Jeffery P apparently forgot to watch The Weather Channel.
The six-year-old Full Count-Betty Jean gelding scorched the mile in 1:51.3, matching the all-age track record shared by Lifetime Pursuit and Tall Cotton, who each achieved it in 2014.
Jeffery P was away second for Dave Palone before a quick quarter-pole burst gave him the lead. He widened at the three-quarters and accelerated from there, defeating the pocket-sitting Icanflylikeanangel by 3-3/4 lengths, with Ladys Dude third. The winner clicked off fractions of :26.4, :55.1, 1:23.1 and 1:51.3.
Ron Burke trains Jeffery P, who now boasts a lifetime bankroll of $215,098, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Phillip Collura.
Palone collected three wins on the 13-race card, giving him nine over the past two programs.
The Super Hi-5, with its jackpot pool fueled by a number of carryovers, was hit, returning $25,959.82. Live harness racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday, first post 12:45 p.m.
(MSOA)