Despite a severe thunderstorm that made it necessary to delay the start of the races 37 minutes, a ‘wet-fast’ track at The Meadowlands last Friday (June 12) led to some drag-strip-like final times as the fastest miles of the year in the sport on the both the pace and trot were established at the mile oval.
The good news for racing fans? Those horses will all be back on the track this Saturday (June 20) at The Big M.
But back to last week. That night, the second leg of the Graduate Series for four-year-olds of each gait took to the track, with some big names putting forth some huge performances.
First up was Super Chapter, the Marcus Melander trainee who walked away with a U.S. divisional title a year ago. He made the lead while parked in :27.3 in the first of two Graduate divisions on the trot and went down the road from there for driver Dexter Dunn, blazing his final quarter in :26 to complete a lifetime-best 1:49.3 effort for the son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit.
He would stand alone as the fastest trotter of the year for just three races.
Indiana invader On To Norway continued to make splashy headlines over the watery racetrack, as he recorded a remarkable 27th consecutive victory in the other division for Graduate trotters. The gelded son of Muscle Massive-One Class Act moved to the top at the half in :55.2 for Yannick Gingras, before the Ron Burke trainee finished the job with a back-half of :54.1 to equal Super Chapter’s seasonal mark with a lifetime-best clocking of 1:49.3.
“He did it pretty easy,” said Gingras. “He had plenty left [in the stretch].”
Super Chapter and On To Norway share the seasonal trotting mark, but Captain Optimistic stands alone on the pace.
A Nancy Takter trainee who was a major player on the sophomore male pacing trail a year ago, Captain Optimistic sent out word that he might be a superstar as a four-year-old, unleashing a season’s-fastest 1:46.4 score in the second Graduate pace with Scott Zeron at the controls.
The son of Captaintreacherous-Cinamony brushed to the lead at the half in a demanding :53.2 before pacing his back half in an identical :53.2 clocking to complete the mile in an effort that lowered his previous lifetime best by one and one-fifth seconds.
On To Norway, Super Chapter and Captain Optimistic will all be in action Saturday night at The Meadowlands in the third leg of the Graduate Series, in what will be the final preliminaries before the $250,000 USD (est.) finals on Saturday, July 4.
On To Norway and Super Chapter will race in separate divisions, setting up what figures to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the year in the final two weeks down the road.
The pre-game show begins at 6 p.m. and post time for the first race is 6:35 p.m. for both of the Friday and Saturday cards. To view Saturday's stakes entries, click here.
Kicking off the weekend at The Big M, Breakfast with the Babies, which showcases two-year-olds getting ready for the upcoming stakes season and beyond, takes place on Friday morning at 9 a.m. Matt Zuccarello will be on hand to describe all of the action. Programs and a free breakfast are being offered in Trotters. The baby races are being sponsored this year by the Tactical Landing Syndicate, Ecurie D Syndicate, and Karl Syndicate, standing at Southwind Farms of New Jersey.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack; photo of On To Norway winning on June 12)