Feel The Muscle overcame Post 9 by following cover and kicked home strongly to score in the second prelim of the Dale McConnell Memorial Trot on Tuesday (March 10) at The Meadows. Enzio sprang a 9-1 upset in the other $12,500 split in the series for three- and four-year-old colts, stallions and geldings.
Feel The Muscle picked up live cover from Dannys Boy in the backside. When driver Mike Wilder tipped the four-year-old Muscle Hill-Macy Lane gelding off that cover through the final turn, he roared past Dannys Boy and downed him by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:56.4—a life mark despite the "sloppy" conditions. Long shot Norwegian Dad rallied for show.
Charlie Norris trains Feel The Muscle for Share A Horse Inc.
The Dale McConnell is one of four late-closing series The Meadows currently is featuring, with the championship leg of each set for Friday, March 20.
In the $20,000 Filly & Mare Open Handicap Pace, Lakeisha Hall rallied wide through the stretch to win in 1:53.2 for driver Dave Palone, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Jack Piatt II. The seven-year-old daughter of Third Straight-Lantana Hall now boasts a lifetime bankroll of $772,489. Burke collected four wins and Palone three on the 13-race card.
After multiple carryovers, the Super Hi-5 was hit, with the sole winning ticket returning $22,913.72
Live racing at The Meadows continues Wednesday (March 10), first post 1:05 p.m.
(The Meadows)