A number of high profile pacers and trotters were in action on Thursday morning at the Meadowlands, as the New Jersey oval hosted an 11-race session
of qualifiers.
Classic Lane made her first appearance of the season, and it turned out to be a winning effort for trainer Ed Lohmeyer. The five-year-old daughter of Lindy Lane, who was voted the 2009 O’Brien Award winner as Canada’s Trotting Mare of the Year, carved out panels of :28.3, :59.1 and 1:28.4 for driver Tim Tetrick before sprinting home in :27.3 to halt the teletimer in 1:56.2.
The biggest victory of the 2009 season for the career winner of $725,776 came on Canadian soil when she captured the $353,710 final of the Classic Oaks at Mohawk Racetrack for owners Robert and Lauren Tucker.
A pair of hard-hitting older trotting horses finished first and second in the next qualifier when Arch Madness defeated Enough Talk in 1:55. Enough Talk, in rein to trainer Peter Kleinhans, led the field to the quarter pole before giving way to Arch Madness and trainer Trond Smedshammer. That two-time O’Brien Award-winning son of Balanced Image supplied middle splits of :58.4 and 1:27.3 before uncorking a :27.2 final frame en route to stopping the clock in 1:55. Enough Talk trotted his own mile in 1:55.1.
Arch Madness, who finished his 2009 season by winning the $187,000 Credit Winner on September 18 at Vernon Downs, was making his second qualifier of the season. He was second and race-timed in 1:55 in last week’s first prep of the season.
Enough Talk, the fastest trotter in the history of the sport, was making his first start of the year after what was a disappointing 2009 campaign by his standards. The career winner in excess of $1.1 million went 1-for-9 and over the course of the season and banked $55,960.
The fastest mile of the morning was turned in by Nob Hill High, who paced to a 1:51.3 victory for driver Andy Miller. The four-year-old son of Mcardle picked off another talented four-year-old rival, River Shark, in the closing strides.
Nob Hill High, who went 6-for-22 last year and banked over $181,000, has yet to hit the board in five starts this season for trainer Bruce Saunders. River Shark, the runner-up in last year’s Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs and the winner of this year’s $80,000 Aquarius Series at the Meadowlands, was returning following a bit of down time. The career winner of $423,687 is already 2-for-3 this season.
After winning a Pocono Downs’ qualifier in 1:55.4 one week ago, Shanghai Lil made her way to the Meadowlands and captured her qualifier in 1:53.2 for the tandem of driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Mark Ford. She led the field through fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before roaring home in :27.3 to seal the deal.
She put together a 5-5-5 record from 20 assignments last year and banked just shy of $500,000 in the process. The career winner of $728,366 hasn’t seen pari-mutuel action since capturing last year’s $364,430 final of the Lady Maud on November 7 at Yonkers Raceway.
To view Thursday’s qualifying results, click here.