Something strange happened to 1-9 favourite Boston Red Rocks in Saturday night’s (May 28) second leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers at The Meadowlands: Victory. More specifically, Michaels Victory.
Sent off at 32-1 in the field of five, Michaels Victory worked out a perfect pocket trip and scored by a half-length over the pacesetting Katies Rocker in a lifetime-best 1:49.1. Boston Red Rocks was third, followed by Dontcallmefrancis and Ideal Rocky. All The Cookies was scratched.
Things could not have gone worse for the popular North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace eligible Boston Red Rocks. As he was making his way around the first turn, 9-2 second choice Ideal Rocky broke stride right in front of him, forcing him to take back.
Boston Red Rocks caught the top pair by the half, and had every chance in the stretch, but was out-sprinted to the wire.
Michaels Victory, who is also an N.A. Cup eligible, paid $66.80 to win. He was driven by Scott Zeron for trainer Mark Silva and owner Jeffrey Snyder.
In the second leg of the NJSS for sophomore filly pacers, Blue Moon Stride was dominant for a second straight week.
The Mark Harder trainee grabbed the lead at the three-eighths and sailed down the road for driver Andrew McCarthy, winning by two and three-quarter lengths in a lifetime-best 1:50.2 as the 1-9 public choice ($2.20) for owners Emilio and Maria Rosati. Show Time Hill was second with JK Fannie third.
Brett Miller led the driver colony with four winners on the night.
The 12th race 20-cent Jackpot Super High Five, which has not had a single-ticket winner since the start of the current meeting, now has a carryover of $237,882.33 heading into the next program.
On Sunday, The Meadowlands will offer on-site wagering on races nine through 15 from Solvalla, Sweden. The ninth race is the first of two Elitlopp eliminations and has an estimated post time of 9:22 a.m. Doors open at 9 a.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)