After a pair of perfect performance in the preliminary legs of this year’s Horse & Groom Series at The Meadowlands Racetrack, Fountainbleau Volo headed to the New Jersey oval and made it a complete sweep thanks to a stakes record performance in the $82,000 final
.
The four-year-old son of SJs Caviar- Blue Water Fly was in no hurry in the early going as Hes Spooky shot to the top and threw down an opening quarter clocked in :28.3. Here Comes Numbers, who was parked to the quarter, brushed to the lead and supplied the field with middle splits of :56.4 and 1:24.4.
Fountainbleau Volo was inching closer to the leader from first-over, and when David Miller called on him to sprint through the stretch, the Jeff Dauplaise-trained gelding complied. He used a ferocious kick to win in going away fashion over Cameron Chip and Definitely Mamie.
“He’s off to a good start, that’s for sure,” said driver David Miller. “His best quality is he’s very versatile. I think he’s a bit better chasing, but when you pull him out of a hole he just takes off.”
Dauplaise shares ownership on the 11-time winner with Mendy Taffel of Floral Park, NY. Together they’ve watched the trotter put together a 4-0-0 record in six starts this season while banking $68,500 along the way. To date, he’s managed to stash away in excess of $154,000.
Fresh off a maiden-breaking score in her latest outing, Miss Chip K used off-the-pace tactics to take home top prize in the $37,000 final of the Syrinx Hanover Series.
Teamed up with Brian Sears, the three-year-old Chip Chip Hooray-American Miss K filly watched Feegee and Touch Of Charm take turns on the lead through panels of :28.4, :57.4 and 1:28.1 before sailing past the pair of them en route to the 1:58.2 victory. Sent off as the 9-5 favourite, the Charlie Norris trainee defeated Feegee and Touch Of Charm.
Owned and bred by Bob Key of Leechburg, PA, Miss Chip K improved her lifetime record to 2-3-1 from 12 tries while boosting her lifetime earnings to $41,651.
The undercard on the Friday evening program also featured the second leg of the Night Styles Series, with a pair of $16,000 divisions on tap for the fillies and mares.
Cruzin Angel went to the front and didn’t look back for driver Ron Pierce en route to a career-best clocking of 1:53 in the opening split. The four-year-old daughter of Yankee Cruiser-Ruffians Angel was unchallenged to the quarter-pole in :28.2 before pressed through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.4 by the first-over Dysnomia Blue Chip. A :28.1 final quarter was more than enough for Cruzin Angel to seal the deal over race favourite Just A Glimpse and Tu Sei Bella.
Daniel De Vitis trains the mare for partners George Green of Clarksburg, NJ and Rhonda Heady of Peoria, AZ. It was the second win of the season for the seven-time winner who now boasts a bankroll totalling $53,492.
Miss Behave pulled off an 8-1 upset in the other division when she rallied to halt the teletimer in a lifetime best performance of 1:53.2 for driver Brian Sears. The four-year-old daughter of Dags-Miss Megan E watched Weekend Update throw down fractions of :28, :56.4 and 1:25.3 before sprinting past her in deep stretch. Miss Behave prevailed by a comfortable margin over Gottaseeaboutagirl and You Little Rascal.
James Quinn conditions the 12-time winner for the Cappy Stable of Bronxville, NY. The victory improved this year’s record to 3-0-2 in eight tries, and the lion’s share of the purse bumped her overall total to $55,229.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Meadowlands Racetrack.