Former Maritime stakes star Lovineveryminute worked out a perfect cover trip and got up on the wire in a furious three-way battle to the finish to win the featured $25,000 Mares Open at The Meadowlands on Friday night (June 10).
The Richard Johnson trainee picked up cover from Gweneeee J at the five-eighths, swung to the outside as soon as she straightened up in the stretch, and got up in a driving finish, nosing out Sheeza Shark N, who was behind the deep-stretch fading 8-5 favourite Totally Rusty before finding a small seem and closing with a rush to miss a nose for a second straight start.
Inittowinafortune almost did just that for her backers, closing well along the rail at odds of 32-1, to finish another nose back in third. Totally Rusty was fourth.
Lovineveryminute, driven by Joe Bongiorno, returned $10.40 as the fourth choice in the wagering. The five-year-old Western Paradise-Deliver Me mare is currently owned by Brian and Ira Ross Wallach. She paced the mile in a lifetime-best 1:50.3.
CARRYOVERS CARRY ON: The carryovers for the two 20-cent Jackpot Super High Five wagers continued to climb.
In the fifth race, the finish of 7-2-4-1-3 failed to yield a single-ticket winner, upping the carryover to $14,017.39.
The 11th race combination of 5-10-3-6-1 also failed to yield a single-ticket winner, increasing that carryover to a whopping $250,288.64.
Both jackpots will be up for grabs on the next Big M card on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)