Driver Todd McCarthy wasn’t taking any chances this time around.
After rebounding from an early break before storming home to win from well off the pace in his seasonal debut a week ago, McCarthy put Hard Seven on the lead on Saturday night in the Dexter Cup at The Meadowlands, the first significant event for three-year-old trotters of the year, and the Nancy Takter trainee held off a late charge from My Degenerate to take the $160,417 event in wire-to-wire fashion.
The Dexter Cup was relocated to The Big M this year after previous home Freehold Raceway closed down at the end of 2024.
“He actually started to grow up a lot at the end of last year,” said Takter of the son of Chapter Seven-Whispering Oaks. “He finished with a nice win streak racing in the Kentucky Sire Stakes. He came into this year confident and he’s grown up a bit and I’m kind of really excited about the way he has progressed.”
Hard Seven burst away from the gate from post six in the six-horse field and put 5-2 second choice My Degenerate (Andy Miller) in the pocket. Hard Seven cut out soft fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:26.4, but despite having things his own way, still gave his backers a scare when My Degenerate came at him quickly approaching the wire, only to come up a small head short in the 1:53.4 mile. The winner's stablemate, Civilian Drone (Dexter Dunn), was third.
Does Takter think Hard Seven can compete at a high level in the Aug. 2 Hambletonian?
“For sure, he’s a quick colt. He definitely knows what this is about,” said the two-time Hambletonian winning trainer. “He fought to the bare tooth when Andy [Miller, driving My Degenerate] was coming at him down the stretch. He’s got all the tools to get there. We just have to have some luck and health on the way and he should be just fine.”
Hard Seven is now five-for-11 lifetime and has lifetime earnings of $244,005 for owners Let It Ride Stables, Maurice Chodash and Boca Racing.
As the 2-5 favourite, he returned $2.80 to win.
Conversano (Muscle Hill-Celebrity Ruth) came from off the pace to take the $62,500 Lady Suffolk for three-year-old trotting fillies in 1:55, in a race that was contested as a non-wagering affair before the betting card began. She was driven by Andy McCarthy and trained by Juan Cano for Hot Lead Farm. My Debt Collector (David Miller) finished half a length back with Halfadozen (Dan Dube) third.
The New Jersey Sire Stakes season for three-year-old pacers kicked off with a bang with a pair of dashes for colts and geldings and one for fillies. Each division went for a purse of $34,722.
Driven by Yannick Gingras and trained by Ron Burke, Beach Babe (Cattlewash-Backstreet Sweetie) gunned down Reckless Abandon (Todd McCarthy) at the wire by a head in a thrilling fillies finish featuring a pair of 8-5 shots. The slight favourite won and returned $5.20. The victory, which was timed in 1:52, was Beach Babe's first in 10 lifetime tries for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, W J Donovan and Jandt Silva-Purnel And Libby. Worklifebalance (Andy McCarthy) and Shesgotthejack (David Miller) missed by less than a length.
Riverview Racing's homebred colt Making History (American History-Mystery Game) emerged from a three-hole trip and exploded home to defeat 2-5 public choice Manolete (Scott Zeron) by a nose in 1:52.1. Big M leading driver Brett Beckwith was in the bike, guiding the Tony Alagna student to victory lane in his first lifetime start. He returned $11 as the 9-2 second choice. Expedited Service (Andy Miller) rounded out the top three.
Smooth Dream (Cattlewash-Dreamlands Latte) was nothing short of spectacular after vacating the four-hole after the half before powering past his overmatched foes on the way to 2-3/4-length win in 1:49.3 for Todd McCarthy and Noel Daley. Following up a Home Grown victory and now three-for-three on the campaign, the 1-5 favourite returned $2.60 to win. He is owned by Bay Pond Racing Stable, Ctc Stable and Kdp Stable. Twin Fury (Brett Beckwith) and Tom Horn (David Miller) were second and third, respectively.
Brett Beckwith led the drivers on the night with three winners and now has 67 victories on the year. Jeff Cullipher, Tony Alagna and Noel Daley tied atop the trainer leaderboard with a pair of walks down victory lane apiece.
All-source betting on the 14-race card totalled $2,513,235 USD.
Racing resumes on Friday at 6:20 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)