The hot hands of driver Yannick Gingras and upsets in two of Thursday night's Junior Trendsetter Series divisions contributed to a $40,143 Pick Six carryover heading into Friday night's card at Meadowlands Racetrack
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Gingras guided five winners on the card, including Colin Power ($29) and Catawba ($43.60) in the last two legs of the Pick Six. He also swept the daily double at the start of the night with Perfect Rendition ($7.80) and RD Blues ($10.60), and later went on to win the tenth race Junior Trendestter division with Capital Blue Chip ($8.20). Nicknamed 'The Green Hornet', the 30-year-old reinsman is closing in on the 3,000-win plateau with 2,984 career victories through Feb. 4, 2010. He is currently fifth in the Meadowlands driver standings with 30 victories.
Trainer Dylan Davis purchased Native Treasure at the Tattersalls Mixed Sale in January for $22,000, and that investment paid immediate dividends. Native Treasure paid $53 as he nailed the favorite No Monkeys Allowed at the wire in the opening leg of the Pick Six, a $12,500 division of the Junior Trendsetter for 3-year-old colt pacers. Driven by George Brennan, Native Treasure closed from eighth at the top of the stretch to win his 2010 debut in 1:53, knocking more than seven seconds off his previous lifetime best.
The second Junior Trendsetter division produced another double-digit payout as Rush Of Fools ($13.60) nosed out even-money favorite Most Happy Dragon in the fifth race. With David Miller in tow, Rush Of Fools tipped out on the far turn and wore down the leader in a career best 1:52.4. Trained by Jim Eaton, Rush Of Fools improved his record to four wins in eight career starts.
One of only three favorites to prevail on the 11-race Thursday card, Wayne The Lefty ($3.60) and driver Brian Sears won the third Junior Trendsetter division, race six, in 1:52. The colt hit the board in six of 10 starts for driver-trainer Trent Stohler in Indiana last season. He shipped into Tony Alagana's New Jersey barn in January.
A $1 base wager, the Pick 6 is available nightly on races four through nine. A 10-day carryover produced a record $1.3 million pool and $193,384 payoff on April 4, 2009, when five winning tickets took down the pool. Post time for Meadowlands' Friday night card of harness racing is 7 p.m.
For Thursday's results, click here.
(The Meadowlands)