Bettor Joy N and Phaetosive emerged victorious in the co-featured Preferreds on Friday night (May 24) while New Jersey Sire Stakes action continued at Meadowlands Racetrack.
In the $30,000 Preferred for fillies and mares on the pace, Bettor Joy N raced in third past the half as Kissin In The Sand was rolling along on the lead in a rated :55.4. Bettor Joy N came after the leader from first-over after popping out of the three-hole but was still a length behind at the head of the stretch.
Bettor Joy N, the even-money second choice by a few dollars, then proceeded to wear down Kissin In The Sand (the actual post-time choice) to record a neck win in 1:50.4, a new lifetime best for the five-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight-Joyfulbelle. Bettorhaveanother finished third.
Trained by Jim King Jr. and driven by Tim Tetrick, Bettor Joy N returned $4 to her backers while winning for 15th time from 37 starts, good for lifetime earnings of $423,634.
In the Preferred Handicap for trotters, all eyes were on 3-5 favourite and 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover, who was making her seasonal debut, but it was another fabulous female, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes terror Phaetosive, who beat the boys with an explosive final eighth of a mile, in a final time of 1:52.2.
At the head of the stretch, Phaetosive didn’t loom as a big threat, racing well off the rail in fourth, four lengths behind Pappy Go Go, who had made a big move to the lead on the far turn. But trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer got the four-year-old daughter of Explosive Matter-Phaeton in gear with an eighth to go and rolled past the leader while holding off the late-charging Yes Mickey. Pappy Go Go held third.
Phaetosive lifted her lifetime stats to 12 wins in 19 starts after winning her seasonal debut and has now earned $876,417. She paid $24.20 to win as the fifth choice in the betting.
Hannelore Hanover trailed the field past the half and moved to the outside shortly thereafter, but never got close in her first start of the year, finishing last of seven.
Driver David Miller and trainer Richard 'Nifty' Norman swept pair of $25,000 second leg divisions of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for sophomore trotters with filly Evident Beauty ($2.40) and gelding Reign Of Honor ($16).
Evident Beauty defeated fellow Canadian-connected filly French Cafe by less than a length in 1:56.2. The Grand Circuit stakes-winning daughter of Trixton was also a round one victress for Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, R A W Equine of Burlington, Ont., and Jeff Gural's New York-based Little E LLC.
Reign Of Honor, last year's Kindergarten Classic champ, rebounded from a miscue in the opening leg and used a :27.1 closing kick to win his division in a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2. The son of Father Patrick is owned by Deo Volente Farms, Jennifer Dalton Stable, Thomas Pontone and Kentuckiana Farms.
Miller also guided Trixton sophomore Starita to a four-length victory matching her mark of 1:55.2 in a non-wagering filly trot division for trainer Joe Holloway and owners Val D'Or Farms and Theodore Gewertz.
Non-wagering pacing splits went to past NJSS champs Hurrikane Emperor in 1:52 and Mollydooker in a 1:57 nose decision.
A LITTLE MORE: The 20-cent Can-Am Pick-4 took in $51,464 in bets, and after a haveable sequence saw winner’s odds of 3-1, 9-2, 3-1 and 9-2, the payoff was $182.42. Meadowlands TV’s Dave Brower gave out the winning combination on the live in-house simulcast show. … The on-track 50-cent Pick-4 reached six figures for a second straight time, as $100,408 was pushed through the windows. The $464.30 return followed a sequence of 7-1, 2-1, 9-2 and 9-2 shots. … Dave Miller drove four winners on the card. … All-source handle totaled $2,368,877. … Racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)