Winning Mister wired the field in the $40,000 prep for the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial as the Meadowlands Racetrack kicked off its 2012 Championship Meet on Friday
night.
Winning Mister steamrolled to his third straight win, and 10th in 12 starts this season, in a career-best 1:51.3. He paid $3.60 to win with Tim Tetrick in the sulky. Big Rigs finished three and a half lengths behind, while Hot Shot Blue Chip was third.
Winning Mister now has earnings of $957,620 and a record of 34 wins in 117 career starts for owner-breeder Robert J. Key of Leechburg, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania shipper is racing under the care of Larry Remmen at the Meadowlands.
The eight horses in the prep field, plus Mister Herbie, will compete in the $210,000 Cutler final next Saturday night. The Cutler finalists, in alphabetical order, are: Big Rigs, Dig For Dollars, Hot Shot Blue Chip, Ice Machine, Looking Hanover, Magnum Kosmos, Mister Herbie, Take My Picture and Winning Mister.
Tetrick also steered Day Blue Chip to a 1:52.4 score for trainer Linda Toscano and owner Ken Jacobs in the first of two $30,135 John Simpson Memorial divisions for three-year-old filly pacers on the card. Gottaseeaboutagirl took the second division, also in 1:52.4, for driver David Miller, trainer Bob Rice and owners Michael Horn, Charles Bonham and Alexander Rice Sr.
The Meadowlands will host a Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday, May 5. The first 10,000 fans will receive a “Talk Derby To Me” t-shirt. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. Live turf racing begins at 3:30 p.m., while the harness card gets underway at 7 p.m. Ladies are encouraged to wear their finest hats for the chance to win nearly $1,000 in cash prizes in the Derby hat contest. Top prize is $500 and the contest is free to enter. Hats can also be purchased or made to order at the Kathy Jeanne hat station in Pegasus.
King Of The Sixes returns May 12. The non-winners of $6,500 class for Saturday, May 12 will feature multiple divisions with a purse of $10,000. The highest money-earners from the May 12 King Of The Sixes will come back and race for $30,000 the following week.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Meadowlands Racetrack.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)