The $200,000 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial and $246,000 Graduate finals top Meadowlands Racetrack’s first stakes night of the summer on Saturday, May 14
.
Looking Hanover, who snuck through late on the pylons to upset the field in the Cutler prep, drew the rail in the final with driver and co-owner Yannick Gingras. Buck I St Pat and Enough Talk, the 2010 Dan Patch Award winners for top older male and female trotters, will start from posts six and nine, respectively. Previous Cutler champions Corleone Kosmos (2008) and Lucky Jim (2009) drew posts three and 10.
In addition to the lion’s share of the purse money, the Cutler winner will receive an invitation to compete in the 2011 Nat Ray on Hambletonian Day. The Cutler is raced in honour of the late horse owner and New York City restaurateur whose eclectic legacy includes Carmine's, Virgil's Real BBQ, Artie's Delicatessen and Gabriela's. In 1997, Cutler died in his sleep of a heart attack at age 53. Less than a month later, a two-year-old trotting filly Cutler co-owned named Cyclone Annie pulled off a 9-1 upset in a $100,000 New Jersey Sires Stakes final at the Meadowlands. It was the only race Cyclone Annie ever won.
Here is a look at the Cutler field (with drivers) from the rail out: Looking Hanover (Yannick Gingras), Slave Dream (Brian Sears), Corleone Kosmos (John Campbell), Hot Shot Blue Chip (David Miller), Neighsay Hanover Jeff Gregory), Buck I St Pat (Tim Tetrick), Celebrity Hercules (Brian Sears), Dont Know Chip (Mike Lachance), Enough Talk (Ron Pierce), Lucky Jim (Andy Miller).
Bettor Sweet went straight to the head of the class in the Graduate with a powerful first over elimination win. The six-year-old gelding will start from post two in the final with John Campbell at the lines. Bettor Sweet paced a 1:47.2 world record for a four-year-old gelding in his elimination for the Graduate in 2009, but has yet to win the final. The career winner of $1.4 million is one of two entrants by trainer Tom Cancelliere and his brother, John. Western Shore, who received a bye into the final, will join his stablemate in the final from post four.
Won The West, the 2010 O'Brien and Dan Patch Award winner for top older male pacer, tops a trio of Graduate finalists trained by Ron Burke. The seven-year-old gelding, who is just shy of $3.5 million in career earnings, will start from post three with David Miller at the lines. Won The West finished second to Shark Gesture in the 2010 Graduate. He will be joined in Saturday’s final by stablemates Atochia, who rallied to finish second in the elimination, and Foiled Again, who received a bye into the final.
Here is a look at the field for the Graduate (with drivers) from the rail out: Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras), Bettor Sweet (John Campbell), Won The West (David Miller), Western Shore (Daniel Dube), We Will See (Brett Miller), Giddy Up Lucky (Daniel Dube), Dial Or Nodial (Tim Tetrick), Hypnotic Blue Chip (Brian Sears), Atochia (Ron Pierce), Lisagain (Andy Miller).
To view Saturday's entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Meadowlands Racetrack.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)