For Tall Dark Stranger, it’s all systems go for The Meadowlands Pace.
Trainer Nancy Takter had her prized colt in a less-than-ideal spot for his three-year-old debut, facing older foes in a high-end conditioned pace at the Meadowlands on Saturday (June 27), but in this post-coronavirus reality where many plans have had to be re-worked, everything turned out as well as she could have hoped.
“I wasn’t shocked,” said Takter. “I knew he had that in him. He did it very easily without much effort. The fact that he did it in his first start, that surprised me.”
What Tall Dark Stranger did was win in 1:47.4 to equal the fastest mile in the sport this year. His stablemate, Kissin In The Sand, set the seasonal mark when she debuted on June 5.
The Bettors Delight-Precocious Beauty product was in a live-cover flow past the half, getting a perfect tow from Western Joe, who won a week ago in 1:48.2. But just after the five-eighths, Western Joe started to slow, prompting driver Yannick Gingras to swing Tall Dark Stranger three wide, a little earlier than he would have liked, midway through the far turn.
“[The trip] didn’t concern me,” said Takter. “He’s a racehorse. He knows what he’s supposed to do.”
What he did was explode through the stretch, pacing his final quarter in :25.4 to record a one-and-a-half-length win while lowering his previous lifetime best by one-and-one-fifth seconds. Escapetothebeach was second, The Devils Own N third and Western Joe fourth.
The top-ranked horse in the Big M’s weekly “Road to the Meadowlands Pace” Top 10 looks more than ready to go.
“He’s got a blowout mile in him now,” said Takter. “He’s going to get next week off before the [July 11] Pace eliminations. He’s right where I want him to be.”
Tall Dark Stranger has now won nine of 10 starts and has earnings of $726,889 for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Marvin Katz, Caviart Farms and Howard Taylor. He paid $3.80 to win.
The $682,650 Meadowlands Pace Final takes place on July 18.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)
Amazing that the 2 fastest
Amazing that the 2 fastest miles of 2020 (1:47.4) thus far were BOTH paced by horses which were making their very first start of the year!!