The hard-hitting Western Joe reigned supreme once again at the Meadowlands, winning the feature Saturday, March 31, the $20,000 Preferred Handicap Pace, for a fifth time in eight tries this year.
The four-year-old son of Western Ideal scored some revenge over arch-rival Bettors Edge, who gunned down Western Joe at the wire when the pair squared off last week.
Western Joe went right to the top, cutting out fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.3 while Bettors Edge set sail after the leader from last in the six-horse field, following the cover of Statham N, down the backside.
As they straightened away with three-sixteenths to go, Bettors Edge catapulted off cover after Western Joe, but he had more than enough to keep his foe at bay, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.1. Bettors Edge was second and the pocket-sitting Durant finished third.
“I still think my horse gets a little lonely on the lead,” said winning trainer Chris Choate. “But you can’t always race covered up, so the front end was the place to be. If you can get a head start on Bettors Edge, it’s a good thing, because he raced huge tonight.”
Western Joe paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 public choice and was driven by Jim Marohn Jr. for owner Anthony Ruggeri. He’s now won six of nine this year and 15 of 38 overall, good for a lifetime bankroll of $231,548.
A LITTLE MORE: The 20-Cent Survivor Pick-10 pool was extremely popular as wagering reached a 2018-high $24,145. When the dust cleared, one lucky bettor wagering into the TwinSpires hub was the only ticket holder to survive six legs, and they cashed in for $20,522.
All-source wagering totaled $2,454,142.
The Late 20-Cent Jackpot Super High-Five failed to result in a single-ticket winner, bloating the carryover to $172,812.
Racing resumes at the Big M Friday at 7:15 p.m.
(With files from the Meadowlands)