As Eddie Sweat's connections contemplate entering him in next week's Pepsi North America Cup eliminations, the Allamerican Native-Popcorn Penny colt made amends for a brief miscue during Wednesday's $100,000 Pennsylvania Stallions Series at The Meadows to score his first win of the season.
The event for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers was contested over five divisions, with Big Time Promise, Tempster Hanover, Shock It To Em and Ultimate Beachboy also taking $20,000 splits. Dave Palone and trainer Chris Oakes teamed for a stakes double with Big Time Promise and Shock It To Em.
Last year’s two-year-old Stallion Series champion, Eddie Sweat overcame adversity Wednesday when, according to trainer Edward Zubkoff Jr., he was bothered by a rival’s whip while moving down the backside and made a brief break in stride. The bay colt recovered and defeated Mommas Jolt by half a length in 1:53.2. Exactly Black completed the ticket.
“He’s a pretty nice horse,” said Zubkoff. “We took him to the farm and he’s calmed down quite a bit. He’s actually eligible for the North America Cup next week. We don’t know what we’ll do yet. You got some tough horses in there, but we might take our chances.”
Eddie Sweat is among 35 colts and geldings that remain eligible to the Cup after the final May 15 sustaining payment. He has been been assessed at odds of 55-1 in Trot Magazine's 2013 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book.
LaSalle Racing Group campaigns Eddie Sweat, who was named for Secretariat’s groom.
After sleepwalking through the front half, Ultimate Beachboy literally kicked it into high gear when he whacked his sulky, startled himself and sped off to a narrow victory in his division.
Ordinarily, when a horse hits his bike, he can lose time, break stride, injure himself or all of the above; a post-race adjustment usually is required. But when Ultimate Beachboy kicked his sulky several times after falling behind 15 lengths at the half, it was what winning driver Eric Ledford termed a wake-up call.
“He didn’t want to go,” said Ledford. “They say he’s notoriously lazy and doesn’t get interested. I got lucky in that he hit the bike every now and then, and that scared him enough to go. That doesn’t always work out, but it worked out perfect today. He can go all day. It’s just a matter of getting him to do his work.”
The Somebeachsomewhere-Ultimate Bet gelding triumphed in a career-best 1:52.4, a neck better than the first-over Medoland Jate, with 2-5 favourite Ilikeitrealhot third.
Don Swick trains Ultimate Beachboy for Royal Wire Products.
Big Time Promise notched his second straight stallions series victory and his fifth win in six starts this year with an effortless front-end score in 1:51.4, two ticks off the stake record. Meetbehindthebarn was six and three-quarter lengths back in second while Beamer Blue Chip earned show.
“It was very easy, especially as windy and as deep as the track is today,” said Palone. “When I kicked the plugs out, he just took off. He’s a nice, big, strong horse.”
Conrad Zurich owns Big Time Promise, a Real Desire-Yankee Promise gelding.
Thursday’s card at The Meadows features the $18,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(With files from The Meadows)