Dew A Little Dance and Wild Wild Western each captured his second straight $12,500 split in Friday’s second leg of the Walter Russell Memorial Pace for three- and four-year-old colts, stallions and geldings at The Meadows.
A four-year-old A Rocknroll Dance-Artbitration gelding, Dew A Little Dance has been ahead at every call in the series for Tony Hall, trainer Norm Parker and owner Tom Klosky, Jr. He prevailed in 1:52.4 over Delray Dude and Stonelake.
Parker earned a Walter Russell training sweep when Wild Wild Western, a sophomore son of Western Ideal-Caila Fra making only his third career start, rallied for Mike Wilder to score in 1:54.2. Touch Of The West was second, beaten 2-3/4 lengths, while Big Pocket Teen completed the ticket. Jacobs Creek Racing, Andrew Altobelli and John Deters campaign Wild Wild Western
Hall, Parker and Wilder each fashioned a triple on the 13-race card while the broodmare Artbitration enjoyed a rare double as another of her sons, Klosky-owned Dew N Doughnuts, won a conditioned pace.
The Meadows currently is hosting four series for three- and four-year-olds, with all championships set for Friday, March 22, first post 1:05 p.m. In other second-leg action this week:
Mary Wohlmuth Memorial Trot — Fillies & Mares
Sweet Madam opened a big lead early and held off a pair of challengers late to triumph in 1:57, fastest this year for a sophomore filly trotter on a five-eighths-mile track. Galary Girl was second, a neck back, while Famous Dilemma completed the ticket.
Hall piloted the daughter of Winning Mister-Sweet Mademoiselle for trainer Parker and owner/breeder Bob Key. Jim Pantaleano took the other $12,500 divisions with Revival and Moshannon Magic.
In the $20,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, Party At The Banks blew away the field with a :27.4 third quarter for Dave Palone and scored in 1:54.2. Ron Burke conditions the five-year-old daughter of Break The Bank K-Beach Party As, whose career earnings now stand at $135,923, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Wilder and Pantaleano each garnered three wins on the 13-race program.
Ken Weaver Memorial Trot — Colts, Stallions & Geldings
Looped from the gate, Explosive Magic continued to the front and scored a decisive 1:56.4 victory in Tuesday’s fastest division. Smokee Mirrors and Bellsandwhistles took the other $12,500 splits. Brian Zendt tallied a Ken Weaver double — among his three wins on the 13-race card — behind Explosive Magic and Smokee Mirrors.
Explosive Magic, who suffered a neck defeat in the opening leg, made amends with his powerful front-end victory for trainer Dirk Simpson and owners Dirk Simpson Stable and Lawrence Barnett. The three-year-old Explosive Matter-Magical Paige gelding downed Cash Hit by two lengths, with Explosive Form third.
Elsewhere on the card, Windsun Glory made a successful return from a three-month layoff with a 1:53 win from post 9 in the $20,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace. Palone was aboard for Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva Stables and Larry Karr. The six-year-old daughter of Mach Three-Windsun Princess now boasts a lifetime bankroll of $380,368.
Donna Dunn Memorial Pace — Fillies & Mares
Walk On Air followed the live cover of her stablemate, Hip To My Lou, then blitzed by her in the lane to capture her division. The other $12,500 split went to She Dragons.
Walk On Air, a three-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou-Into Thin Air, took a mark last year of 1:56.4 but hadn’t raced since Sept. 25. Nevertheless, she had enough pop for Dan Charlino to out-finish Hip To My Lou by two lengths in 1:55.2, with Flipping Fun third. Burke conditions Walk On Air for Burke Racing Stable, Adriano Sorella and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
In the $20,000 Preferred Handicap Trot, Mac Deeno sprang a 17-1 upset in 1:56.3 over a “good” surface for Pantaleano, trainer J.L. Adams and owner Mike Foote. The six-year-old son of Broadway Hall-Macdeena vaulted over $200,000 in career earnings.
(The Meadows)