After nearly going the distance at long odds in last week’s opening leg of the Sportsnet NY Series at the Meadowlands, Laguna Beach returned to the New Jersey oval and took it to the house
in Thursday night’s second leg.
The Ken Rucker trainee was rolled through panels of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:23.2 by David Miller, who watched the four-year-old son of Real Artist give him :26.4 when asked for it in the final quarter of the $19,000 tilt.
Laguna Beach, who stopped the teletimer in career-best clocking of 1:50.1, easily fended off runner-up Thanks For Stoppin, who was sent off as the 2-1 favourite, and third-place finisher Dinneratartsplace, who was a winner in 1:50 in last week’s opening leg.
Robert Feldman, Engel Stable LLC, Rucker Stable Inc. and The Panhellenic Stb. Corp. share ownership on the five-time winner, who has put together a 2-1-2 record in his first nine starts of the 2009 campaign. He has stashed away $53,065 to date.
The victory was part of a five-win performance for driver David Miller.
The $45,000 (est.) final of Sportsnet NY Series is scheduled for Thursday, April 16 at the Meadowlands.
To view Thursday’s results, click here.