Two-year-old pacing colt Power Code and trotting colt Hidalgo each remained undefeated after winning their second career starts in the New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS) on Friday, July 12 at The Meadowlands.
The evening featured nine $34,247 leg one divisions of the NJSS for two-year-olds.
The Canadian-campaigned Power Code was the fastest division winner, lowering his lifetime mark to 1:52 flat for driver and co-owner Jody Jamieson.
Power Code floated away third off the gate but Jamieson had the 1-5 favourite on the move as they raced past the opening quarter in :27.4 to overtake early leader Smooth Dream. Power Code was rated through middle splits of :57 and 1:26 on the engine before countering a final turn challenge from Floor It Freddie with a powerful :26 final quarter to get away by 2-3/4 lengths. Smooth Dream finished second and Floor It Freddie held on for third.
Power Code paid $2.40 to win as the bettors' choice, following up a winning debut on June 21 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Cattlewash-Code In colt was a $40,000 yearling purchase from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Jamieson and his father, Hall of Fame trainer Carl Jamieson. Nifty Norman handles the training duties stateside.
Hidalgo also remained unbeaten in two lifetime starts after winning his NJSS division for male trotters in a lifetime-best 1:54.1.
A Ron Burke trainee, Hidalgo sat a pocket trip as Go Boom exploded away from post eight in the eight-horse field to lead at the quarter in :28, half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:26.2. Driver Yannick Gingras then gave the son of Muscle Hill-Brooklyn the green light, vacating the pocket at the head of the stretch, but after Hidalgo took a couple of wonky steps, Gingras went back in before re-emerging with less than an eighth-of-a-mile to go and Hidalgo trotted on to an easy 1-1/2-length win. Go Boom finished second with Camera Man third.
“He was very impressive,” said Burke. “He just needs some seasoning.”
“He was a little anxious tonight,” said Gingras. “I think he got a little excited. He showed a lot of class and was loaded with trot.”
As the 1-2 favourite, Hidalgo returned $3 to win.
A $600,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale by Brixton Medical Inc. and Hatfield Stables, Hidalgo continued to return on his connections’ considerable investment as he followed up a victory in the June 28 leg of the Kindergarten Series at The Meadowlands.
Trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt debuted three winning two-year-olds, steering his trainees to victory lane in the NJSS to pace both the driver and trainer colonies. He won the other male trot divisions with 2-1 favourite Dont Ask For More (Walner-Cant Have My Moni) in 1:55.2 and 1-5 favourite Nordic Catcher S (Six Pack-That Woman Hanover) in 1:55.3. Svanstedt's trotting filly Lady Landia (Tactical Landing-Seventimesalady) was victorious in 1:54.3, scoring as the 5-2 second choice in her division.
Two more filly trot divisions went to the Tony Alagna-trained Wallies Dolly (Walner-You Want Me) in 1:54.4 as the 9-2 third choice in rein Dave Miller and 1-5 favourite Kendra (Walner-Danish Girl) in 1:53.3 as the Nancy Takter trainee gave Gingras another stakes score.
The lone filly pace division was won by Bequeath (Lazarus N-Endowment) in 1:52.2 with Scott Zeron guiding the 9-5 second choice for the Linda Toscano stable.
Another pacing colt division was won by 3-5 favourite Manolete (Cattlewash-Glancewithme) in 1:52.1 with Todd McCarthy driving for trainer Bruce Saunders.
All-source wagering on the 14-race program totalled $2,448,083 USD.
Racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m. with a spectacular 14-race card that will have stakes purses totalling more than $2.4 million USD, featuring the $650,000 USD Meadowlands Pace.
(Standardbred Canada and Meadowlands Racetrack)