Leading Meadowlands trainer Per Engblom retooled Saba Rock’s equipment, and defending Dan Patch Driver of the Year Jason Bartlett took care of the rest, guiding the four-year-old gelding to victory over eight foes in the Saturday, April 25 feature at The Big M, a $30,822 high-end conditioned pace.
“Per made a few changes on him because he was running in. I couldn’t control him the way I wanted to,” said Bartlett. “He bounced back (from a second-place finish on April 11) well.”
Wish You Well (Braxten Boyd) displayed explosive early energy from post six at the start while Saba Rock had to race wide into the first turn from post eight. Wish You Well reached the quarter on the point in :27.1 as Saba Rock took back to fourth, and the duo were in the same positions as Wish You Well hit the half in :55.4. Then it was time to rock.
Saba Rock angled off the rail just after the half and swiftly made his way toward the leader on the rim uncovered heading into the far turn. Wish You Well had a slight edge at three-quarters in 1:24, but displaying big-time momentum, Saba Rock opened up two lengths when they turned for home before reaching the line an easy-as-you-please 2-1/2-length winner in 1:51.2. Captain Crusader A (Tim Tetrick) rallied with a rush for second with Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton) grabbing the show dough.
“He’s a very fast horse who we expect a lot of good things from this year,” said Bartlett.
A product of Rockin Image-Nightcap, Saba Rock won his ninth race from 23 career attempts. Owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey and Adam Friedland, he returned $4.80 to his backers as the 7-5 favourite.
Bartlett piloted Engblom's two other winners on the 14-race card, Seasideescape ($2.60), who was involved in a dead heat, and Momas Son Byrne ($6.20), who won by a neck. With the triple, the trainer has 34 wins at The Meadowlands this year, giving him a lead of 16 over second-placed Joe Bongiorno. Overall, Engblom has won 143 races this season in 558 starts.
Bartlett also scored with Lmc Peanuts Watchn ($19.60), trained by Chris Height, and the Shaun Vallee-trained Galante A ($3.80) to record a five-win evening. Coming off a career high of 803 wins last year, Barlett is 198-for-626 so far this season.
Bookie J put up a flawless performance tracking down leader Thisbeestings Deo through a powerhouse stretch drive to take the second of two $41,096 divisions of the New Jersey Home Grown for three-year-old colts and geldings on the pace by 4-1/4 widening lengths.
Trainer Chris Ryder has high hopes for the gelded son of Perfect Sting-Skyy, who won the 2025 Kindergarten Series final. Possibly Meadowlands Pace hopes?
“Well, I wouldn't tell you that at the moment, but he's got plenty more," Ryder said. "He's got more gears to him. You know, he's strong and he’s a tall horse. He's gotten stronger from two to three and I think he's pretty serious.”
The Dexter Dunn-driven Bookie J stayed perfect in two starts this year after stopping the clock in 1:52 over a sloppy track with a two-second variant. Owned by Ken Jacobs, He upped his lifetime stats to six wins from 13 tries, good for earnings of $319,300. He paid $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite. Thisbeestings Deo (Yannick Gingras) finished second over Callmebigpapi (Todd McCarthy).
There were three other $41,096 divisions of the New Jersey Home Grown for pacers contested on the card. Azrael Blue Chip ($3.20) captured the other split for males, completing the mile in 1:53 for a 3-1/2-length win over Obliterate (Patrick Ryder), with Rocknacious (Bartlett) third. The winning colt by Perfect Sting-Bathsheba was driven by Andy McCarthy for trainer Besim Odza and owner CT Stables LLC. The colt concluded his freshman year with a win in the New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund final, and with Saturday's sophomore debut, he has now won six straight starts.
Sunny Station ($3.60) broke her maiden in the first division for fillies with a 1:53.3 score in line to Todd McCarthy. She won by 1-3/4 lengths over Car Keys (Dexter Dunn), followed by Crunchalous (Mark Herschberger). Brett Pelling trains the daughter of Perfect Sting-Sandys Beach for Deo Volente Farms LLC.
Darlins Angel ($5) scored in her seasonal debut in the other filly section, reaching up to nab Napalm (Todd McCarthy) and She Stings (Joe Bongiorno) by a neck for a 1:54 victory. Napalm was a narrow second over She Stings. Lauren Tritton drove the winning daughter of Captaintreacherous-Darlins Delight to victory for trainer Juan Cano and owner Hot Lead Farm.
All-source handle on the 14-race program totalled $2,284,701. Racing resumes Friday at 6:35 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)