Fresh off a round two upset in the series, Angel From Above could use a little more divine luck on her side in the $61,000 Tender Loving Care Final Friday night
at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
The daughter of Bettors Delight will tangle with a tough field of three-year-old fillies in the stakes event, which was postponed due to snow the week prior. Tryst, whose streak was snapped by Fox Valley Dazzle in her last start, is rated the 3-1 morning line favourite from post four. Angel From Above will start from post two and is rated at 6-1 on the morning line after rallying to a 23-1 upset in round two of the series. Meadowlands newcomer Johnny Waite, a 33-year-old trainer from Camden, DE, owns and trains the filly.
“My father-in-law, Rodney Mitchell, bred Angel From Above, and she didn’t do a whole lot last year as a two-year-old,” Waite said. “I raced her a few times. Once at Chester, she finished third, then she was second at Dover Downs when she had road trouble. The following week she won there wire-to-wire in 1:57.1. Then, I turned her out and ended up making an offer to buy her.”
Angel From Above made her sophomore debut in the first leg of the Tender Loving Care Series on February 3. She finished eighth, never leaving the pylons.
“She’s a little thing and I wasn’t sure she was really going to pan out racing up there [at the Meadowlands],” Waite said. “We tried her and she raced okay the first start, even though she finished eighth. She was caught in, shot the gap and almost ran up on to the filly in front of her. I thought she showed enough to try her one more time.”
Waite’s faith in the filly paid off in round two as she shook loose late to defeat Day Lily Hanover by a half-length in 1:56.1. Ron Pierce, who took over the lines from Jason Bartlett, was in the sulky for the victory; however, he committed to drive morning line favorite Tryst in the final. David Miller will sit behind Angel From Above on Friday night.
“Ron left with her, got shuffled back and I thought we were in trouble again,” Waite said, “but Ronnie got her out late, she got to running in a little bit, but she can sprint home. They didn’t go a big mile, but :27.2 is pretty good [final quarter], and they went :59 to the half. Pierce told me to put a little piece of hose on the strap of the head pole where it would slide up. I had the vet go over her and she really doesn’t have any issues.
“If she races like she did [in her last start] I think she should have a shot," he continued. "I’d be tickled to get a piece of $61,000. Erv Miller’s filly, Fox Valley Dazzle has the rail, and she looks like the one to beat. All of the good fillies drew inside.”
Waite was born in Minnesota, but grew up in Delaware after his grandfather, who was in the air force, got transferred there. He runs a small stable out of Harrington Raceway and races at Dover Downs, Harrah’s Chester and the Meadowlands. Waite comes off his best year in 2009, with 35 races and $483,366 won.
“I didn’t start in the business,” he explained. “I was in construction and I worked for a friend who had a black top company. One winter that business got bad, so I tried the horses with one of his brothers and it didn’t work out. Then, his other brother let me do a little more, and I started to enjoy it. I know I’ve still got a lot to learn. I watch guys down here like George Teague, Jr., I ask questions and you never stopping learning.”
“I mostly deal with claimers and raceway stock,” he continued. “This is the first year I’ve had a few young horses. I have a classy 8-year-old pacer right now named Kentucky Rebel, and I might bring him up to the Meadowlands to race. He won in 1:49.1 at Chester last fall.”
(The Meadowlands)
To view Friday’s entries, click here.