It’s safe to say that Oakwood Ardan IR loves The Meadowlands.
During 2024, the now six-year-old son of Sweet Lou-Trend Setter won nine times from 16 starts. Great stats, but at The Meadowlands, they were off the charts, as all nine of his victories came at the mile oval in just 11 tries. Five of those were in 1:49 or faster.
He flexed those I-love-this-track muscles in the $37,671 Saturday night, June 7 feature, an Open Handicap for pacers, by gunning down 1-5 favourite Ruthless Hanover with ease in a sizzling 1:48.4.
“He likes The Big M because it’s a long straight,” said winning driver Andy McCarthy. “His attitude is his biggest asset. He’s got an incredible will to win. It’s a lot of fun [to drive this horse].”
After the select field of six was sent on their way, Spring Inhis Step A (Johnathan Ahle) stepped fastest of all around the first turn. Oakwood Ardan IR also left the gate while Ruthless Hanover (Todd McCarthy) raced in fifth as they straightened up down the backside. Spring Inhis Step A reached the quarter in :26.2 before Oakwood Ardan IR grabbed the lead at the three-eighths. Ruthless Hanover was in gear next and reached the point before hitting the half in :54.
The top two were unchanged to three-quarters, which went in 1:21.1, but off the turn, when the field straightened away for the final three-sixteenths, Oakwood Ardan IR popped out of the pocket, looking like he meant business.
“I was travelling pretty good going into the last turn,” said Andy McCarthy, who was also the winning driver last week in the Open with Maximus Miki. “When I moved him over [out of the pocket], I saw him change gears.”
Just after reaching mid-stretch, Oakwood Ardan IR got past the tiring Ruthless Hanover on the way to reporting home a half-length winner over a fast-closing Macs Delight (Mark Herschberger). Voukefalas (Joe Bongiorno) rallied for third with Ruthless Hanover fourth.
“[Winning trainer Robert] Cleary has done a great job getting him back,” said McCarthy. “He needed a good race. I was trying to teach him to get out of the gate a little better because we are getting him ready for the big boys.”
As the 5-1 third choice, Oakwood Ardan IR returned $12.80 to his backers.
He now has 21 career wins from 48 starts, good for earnings just shy of $300,000 for Ohio owner Royal Wire Products Inc.
When Blue Collar Man lit up the board at odds of 53-1 in the 13th race, a 20-cent Pick-6 carryover was the result. A total of $6,630 will be sitting in the pool when the Pick-6 gets underway in race eight on Friday night. Those who had five correct selections collected $1,105.14.
Joe Bongiorno led the driver colony with three victories on the card.
All-source handle on the 14-race program totalled $3,314,111 USD.
Racing resumes Friday night at 6:20 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)