Dial Or Nodial and Passmaster Hanover scored decisive victories in a pair of elimination races for the $500,000 SBOA/Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack
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The top five colts from each of the two $25,000 eliminations qualified for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic, the headliner on a card featuring $1.1 million in stakes for NJ-sired horses on Saturday, June 13. The event for three-year-old colt pacers will share the spotlight with the $175,000 Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey for fillies and a pair of $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championships for three-year-old trotters. The Miss New Jersey and New Jersey Classic are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
Dial Or Nodial [$2,60, $2.20, $2.10] held off the pocket sitter Sombrero Blue Chip [$6.00, $3.80] to win the first of the splits by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.2. Brian Sears steered the son of Western Ideal-Smart Dialing to his tenth career win and second in three starts this season. Trained by Jim Campbell, Dial Or Nodial won the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on May 30. Arlene and Jules Siegel of New Hope, Pennsylvania bred and own the gelding, who has now won $541,974.
"I just waited to see how many horses were going to leave out of there," said winning driver Brian Sears. "It didn't seem like there were many possibilities for a little speed early. I ended up in a kind of first over situation, so I brushed him to the front kind of late and he was well in hand finishing."
Ideal Danny finished third, but was disqualified and placed seventh for interfering with Western Posse in the stretch. Estero Bay [$6.40], Amazon Art and Vertical Horizon moved up into third, fourth and fifth, respectively, and advanced to the final.
In the second elimination, Passmaster Hanover [$4.60, $3.60, $2.60] and driver Tim Tetrick seized command at the half and drew off to a three-length tally over Vintage Master [$3.60, $2.60] in 1:50.3. Riding The Rapids [$6.40] rallied quickest of all to finish third, while Poker Shark and Ridneck Riviera also advanced to the final.
"Danny [Dube and Vintage Master] was having trouble clearing the front," Tetrick said. "My horse is pretty rank, so once [Dube] did I just let [Passmaster Hanover] go to the front and he did the rest of the work."
The lightly raced Passmaster Hanover posted his fourth win in six career starts. Blair Burgess trains the son of Cams Card Shark for Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky and Jeff Snyder of New York, New York.
"I don't know where he fits yet," Burgess said. "I don't know if he'll be able to battle with [the top colts] all summer or not, but he's off on the right step."
Post positions for the quartet of June 13 stakes will be drawn Tuesday.
In regular racing action, Share The Delight [$11.60, $7.40, $5,40], driven by Yannick Gingras, rallied off a second-over trip with a :26.4 final kicker to win the $27,500 Preferred Pace for four and five-year-olds by a nose in 1:50.1. Domitian Hanover [$16,80, $9.00] was the runner-up with the pacesetter, Golden Receiver [$5.40], and Dragon King finishing right there in third and fourth.
So far this year, the four-year-old son of Bettors Delight has recorded five wins and three seconds in 12 outings earning $67,000. Linda Toscano trains the winner of 13 races and $419,362 for The Four Horsemen Stable of Englewood and Algonquin Farms of Centennial, Colorado.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from NJSEA)