Well Said and Hypnotic Blue Chip were the easiest kind of winners in their respective $50,000 eliminations of the Meadowlands Pace on Saturday evening, and in doing so they’ve earned their connections the right to pick a post position for next Saturday’s $1-million final
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Fresh off his win in the $1.5-million Pepsi North America Cup, the Steve Elliott-trained Well Said toyed with the Glamour Boys he squared off with in the opening elimination. Ron Pierce was in no hurry with the three-year-old son of Western Hanover-Must See, but that was changed after John Campbell stole away with a soft first quarter in :27.3. Pierce started up the engine on Well Said at the point, and he was up to engage Campbell and Art Colony at the mid-way point in :55.2.
Those two continued to go toe-to-toe around the final turn, and they were together at the three-quarter pole in 1:22.2. Well Said wrestled away the lead from Art Colony in mid-stretch and drew off to win in 1:49.2. Art Colony held on to finish second and Vintage Master was third. Also advancing to the final were Schoolkids (5th-placed-4th) and Pair A Dice (6th-placed-5th). Drop Red finished third, but was placed sixth for causing interference to Pair A Dice at the half while on a break.
“They weren’t going enough up front for me,” “I decided I’d better get a bit closer to the front; I didn’t want them to get away too cheap and have somebody pull and get in my way from catching them. Around the last turn I grabbed him up and took a big grip on him because I didn’t want to go to the top. I sat on him around the last turn and then called on him a bit in the lane.”
Well Said, who is owned by Jeffrey Snyder of New York, NY and Lothlorien [Susan Grange] of Cheltenham, ON, picked up his fourth win of the season in just five tries. It was the eighth career tally for the winner of $1,414,627.
Race favourite Hypnotic Blue Chip used a powerful stretch kick to take the second $50,000 elimination in a career-best clocking of 1:49.2 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Mark Harder. The three-year-old son of Art Major-A Traceofmagic vaulted past the leaders in deep stretch en route to posting his eighth win of the season in 15 tries.
Chasin Racin hustled the field to the quarter pole in :26.4 before being overtaken by a backstretch brushing Arctic Warrior. That gelding was on the hook for middle splits of :54.1 and 1:21.3. If I Can Dream took a serious shot at Arctic Warrior around the final turn, and the fast fractions set it up for a closer. Hypnotic Blue Chip was the quickest of the closers, and his :27.3 final frame was more than enough to propel him to the win. Chasin Racing shot up the rail to finish second and Ideal Danny came on to finish third. Also advancing to the final were If I Can Dream (4th) and Arctic Warrior (5th).
“I had to think about it a long time, and I’m glad I picked the right one,” said Tim Tetrick when asked about which colt he was going to drive in the elims. “He’s a real nice colt and he finishes well. Hopefully we can follow Well Said and maybe get a second or third-over trip in the final; that would be great. It would be great to win another Meadowlands Pace. I’d love to do it for the connections of this colt.”
Deena Rachel Frost, Stable 45, Mark Harder and Robert Murphy share ownership on the career winner of $282,640.
Well Said's connections won the shake and selected post three for the final. The connections of Hypnotic Blue Chip opted for post four. Here is the complete post draw and the morning line for next Saturday's $1-million final of the Meadowlands Pace:
$1,000,000 Meadowlands Pace Final
1. Schoolkids 20-1
2. Ideal Danny 12-1
3. Well Said 6-5
4. Hypnotic Blue Chip 4-1
5. Vintage Master 10-1
6. Art Colony 5-1
7. Arctic Warrior 15-1
8. Chasin Racin 15-1
9. If I Can Dream 12-1
10. Pair A Dice 20-1
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click here.