The Grand Circuit season got underway with a bit of a surprise. Dismissed at 24-1, Fast Movin Train scored the upset in the $47,306 W.N. Reynolds Memorial, Tar Heel division for three-year-old pacers.
The early lead was established by Colorful Speech, who reached the quarter in :27.1 before settling into a rhythm and gliding to the half-mile in :56.3. At that time, Coaster committed first over from mid-pack, carrying Rock N Roll World into a live outer flow. In the meantime, Fast Movin Train, who showed good speed off the gate, was content riding the pocket throughout the mile as Colorful Speech took the field past three-quarters in 1:25.1. In the stretch, Andy Miller called on Colorful Speech for more speed, but the field was closing in. Coaster continued to grind away first over and closed the gap, while Rock N Roll World was rallying off his cover. But inside the final eighth of a mile, a seam opened and into the breach came Fast Movin Train, who found the seam and burst through to grab the victory in the shadow of the wire in 1:52.3.
The win was the second in the last three starts for the gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven and the first stakes victory of his career, sending his lifetime earnings close to $60,000. The winner was driven by Dave Miller for Joe Holloway and owner Michael Ouriel.
With 12 horses entered, the second round of the Whata Baron Series saw an overloaded field contest one division for $22,500. In a race that saw six different horses on the lead at one point in the mile, the last horse to reach the lead was round one winner Rediscovery.
Although he was an overwhelming favourite the prior week, Rediscovery escaped from the second tier at 5-1. He came from well off the pace while racing third over. There was a scramble for the lead with four different horses having the lead at some point before the half-mile mark of the 1-1/8-mile contest. It would be Major Uptrend who would settle into the leading position after fractions of :26.1 and :55.1. He would continue to lead around the turn, past three-quarters in 1:23.4, but the field began to close in. Ideal Cowboy was bearing down first over, El Bloombito was rallying off cover and he grabbed the lead inside the last eighth of a mile, but he was quicky collared by Rediscovery, who came home fastest of all to complete the 1-1/8-mile distance in 2:04.2. Bettorever rallied from far back to be second with El Bloombito third.
The winner was driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Philip Collura.
Doo Wop Hanover took the $25,000 Four and Five-Year-Old Open Handicap Pace, giving John Campbell his third win on the card.
Doo Wop sat third early behind the speed of 6-5 favourite Fool Me Once, who was looking to go wire-to-wire for the second consecutive week. Campbell guided his horse first over into a :55.3 half-mile and by the time the field hit three-quarters in 1:23.1, Doo Wop Hanover was nearly on even terms with the leader. The former New Jersey Sire Stakes champion hit the front in mid-stretch and held off a late rally by Dovuto Hanover, while pacing home in a powerful :26.3 to win in 1:49.4. Dovuto Hanover was second while Fool Me Once saved the show. Little Brown Jug Winner Limelight Beach sat the pocket throughout and was an even fourth in his 2015 debut.
Doo Wop Hanover is trained by Steve Elliot, who won two races on the card, for Peter Blood and Rick Berks.
Gokudo Hanover made it three in a row, winning his division of the Spring Preview for three-year-old pacers in 1:51.1 by gamely holding off Revenge Shark and Soto.
Gokudo Hanover was allowed to control the tempo again, stealing a :29-second, second quarter in the process. Soto came first over into a strong third quarter, while Revenge Shark saved ground throughout. The three lined up across the track and raced to the wire, but Gokudo Hanover would not let anyone by, winning for John Campbell.
The winner is trained by Douglas Hamilton for Sandbur Farms, Valarie Sutton and Joseph Hemingway.
Gweneeee J, the sister to world champion Kenneth J, made the third time the charm, scoring her first victory Saturday night at The Meadowlands.
Sent off as the odds-on favourite for the third consecutive time, the three-year-old filly took no prisoners, putting herself on the lead and staying there throughout the mile. Her stablemate, Lady Spartacus, who defeated her last week, was relegated to the pocket throughout and could not get to Gweneeee J, who paced home in :26.4 to score a decisive victory.
John Campbell drove the filly for Linda Toscano and Kenneth Jacobs.
The 2015 World Harness Handicapping Championship was conducted on Saturday night at The Meadowlands and the winner, taking home the $14,400 first-place prize was William Meisel of Staten Island, New York. Meisel catapulted to the win with a $100, last race win wager on the winner, Rockaholic, sending his bankroll to $1,092 to capture the prize.
The fifth race Jackpot Super Hi-5 went unclaimed, with the carryover now at $95,311. The last race Jackpot Super Hi-5 also had more than one winner and that carryover grew to $68,662.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)