A trio of $12,500 splits of the Art Unger Stake for four-year-old horses and geldings kicked off the Friday program at the Meadowlands, and the post time favourites had no problem getting the job done
in those divisions.
Allamerican Chief earned a career-best clocking of 1:51.3 in the opening contest for the duo of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer John Bavosi. The four-year-old son of Cams Card Shark-Chippie Gabby rallied for the score over Tamayo and Sun Moon Lake.
It was the third win of the season in just eight trips postward for the gelding, who was sent off as the even-money favourite. The six-time winner, who has banked more than $45,000 to date, is owned by New Jersey partners Ruth Ann O’Brien, Robert Rinaldi and Francis Tarricone.
Bet The Town and Brian Sears took an early tuck into the four-hole before blasting to the lead in the backstretch, and once they made the lead it was game over. The four-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Town Sweetheart, who was sent off as the 1-2 choice, kicked home in :28.2 to post the 1:53.1 decision over Be Quick About It and Spectacular Man.
Ray Schnittker conditions the gelding for the Bet The Town Stb of Middletown, NY. After putting together a 1-1-0 record in just two starts as a rookie the pacer has assembled a 4-3-2 record in his first 11 starts of the 2010 campaign. Bet The Town, who was let go as the 1-2 favourite, is on the verge of surpassing $70,000 in lifetime earnings.
Eragon closed as the 4-5 chalk in the third division, and he had no problem coming through on his pari-mutuel promise for driver George Brennan and trainer Peter Kleinhans. The four-year-old Dragon Again-Sistine gelding shot to the lead from post seven and supplied splits of :27.4, :57 and 1:25.2 before unleashing a :27.3 closing panel to seal the deal in a career-best 1:53. Brandons Colt was next best and Hes Redhot rounded out the top three finishers.
P Kleinhans Racing Inc of Flemington, NJ owns the gelding, who has put together a 5-1-1 record in his first eight starts of the season after going 1-0-1 in five starts as a rookie. The win puts the pacer’s lifetime earnings just shy of $50,000.