The third time was the charm for 2024 Dan Patch Award winner Captain Albano, a winner for the first time this season during the qualifying session on Saturday, May 31 at The Meadowlands.
Facing just three rivals, and facing just three-year-olds, Captain Albano went postward in Saturday's sixth qualifier and in all fairness to his foes if this was a pari-mutuel race he might have been barred from wagering. Sprinting out to a six-length lead by the :28.1 opening quarter, Captain Albano carved out a decent tempo for driver Todd McCarthy, posting middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.3 with no serious threat. In the stretch, Captain Albano launched home through a :26.2 final quarter for the pin and the win in 1:51. Chanceyfascination was next across the wire for driver Anibal Borjas, nearly 15 lengths in arrears.
Trained by 2024 U.S. Trainer of the Year Noel Daley for Patricia Stable, L A Express And Sjoblom Inc., Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan, Captain Albano (Captaintreacherous - Angelou) enters his four-year-old season off back-to-back Dan Patch awards and a career summary of 19-4-2 from 27 starts. The $1.99 million earner sports a mark of 1:48.1, taken in his Breeders Crown elim win last October at The Meadowlands.
Another Dan Patch Award winner was back in qualifying action, but Maryland wasn't as successful as his connections would have liked. A backstretch miscue for driver Dexter Dunn after the opening quarter put the double divisional champion behind the eight ball early. Trainer and co-owner Marcus Melander told Trot Insider that no logical reason was immediately evident for the break in stride, and that the horse finished his mile strongly. He went on to indicate the plan for Maryland is to make his sophomore debut in the Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon Downs in two weeks time on Friday, June 13.
Winning that qualifier was Uno, first at every call for driver Borjas, trainer Tony Alagna and owners Pryde Stables Inc. of North York, Ont., Buckstone Land Livestock of Pennsylvania and William Beattie of Toronto, Ont. The son of Tactical Landing - Unica Donna IT was a two-time winner as a rookie, naking $121,830 while taking his 1:56.2 mark at The Red Mile.
Full qualifier results are available here.
(Standardbred Canada)