He doesn’t have much experience, but you wouldn’t know it after seeing All Alone perform in Friday night’s featured pace at The Meadowlands.
The three-year-old colt by Heston Blue Chip-Lonesome Day won a second straight start – his second lifetime win from six outings – keeping main foe Idiosyncratic at bay to the wire by a head in 1:53.2 in a $14,500 non-winners of two pace over a sloppy track on a second straight Friday card that saw miserable rainy weather in northern New Jersey.
Driver Scott Zeron put All Alone on the point while parked as he got past 3-1 second choice Idiosyncratic in :29. After reaching the half in :57.3, Zeron was able to rate the third fraction to :28.3, leaving a :27.1 final quarter in the tank, which proved to be just enough to prevail over a fast-closing Idiosyncratic. Third Pillar was third.
“I like him more off a helmet,” said winning trainer Linda Toscano of All Alone. “But he had to be there [on the lead] tonight. He’s still learning. He’s got a lot of talent.”
As the 1-5 favourite, All Alone returned $2.60 to his backers.
It was a good night for Hall of Famer Toscano, whose only other starter on the night was also a winner. C Is For Cookie ($5.20 as the 8-5 public choice), a three-year-old filly by Betting Line-Sweet Future, scored in her career debut in a snappy 1:51.3 with Zeron at the lines.
“I loved her when I trained her down, but she injured herself [last year],” said Toscano. “But that’s what two-year-olds do sometimes. She got loose on the lead and Scott let her race.”
All-source betting totalled $3,337,915 on the 14-race card, keeping The Big M’s streak of surpassing the magic $3-million mark intact. There have been 18 Friday and Saturday night programs conducted during 2023 and every one has seen wagering exceed $3 million. During 2022, betting went past the $3-million mark 23 times during the 85-program season.
Tim Tetrick made his return to The Big M a winning one, guiding Nylander to victory lane as the 2-5 public choice in race six. It was Tetrick’s first appearance at the mile oval in 2023. Dexter Dunn led the driver colony with three victories.
Three popular multi-leg wagers had those with winning tickets grinning from ear-to-ear as the 20-cent Pick-5 ($7,895.44), 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 ($8,323.04) and 20-cent Pick-6 ($9,991.66) all resulted in big payoffs.
Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
(The Meadowlands)