Skimming through a seam at the pylons, Major Occasion A slipped past Shartin N in the final strides to pull a 50-1 upset in the $172,850 Dorothy Haughton Memorial, formerly named the Golden Girls.
Kissin In The Sand cleared command heading to a :26.1 first quarter while Major Occasion A protected position to sit the pocket. Shartin N, the 3-5 favourite, raced fourth into the backstretch and waited until the field passed a :54.2 half to make her move first over.
Shartin N marched uncovered to challenge Kissin In The Sand around the final turn with Soho Burning Love A racing second over. Kissin In The Sand lost the lead past three-quarters in 1:21.1 as Shartin N stuck a head in front turning for the finish. The race favourite struggled to gain separation from Kissin In The Sand to the inside and Soho Burning Love A kicking off cover. As Shartin N stalled but lead narrowly in the final sixteenth, driver Dexter Dunn dashed Major Occasion A through an opening at the inside and managed to nail Shartin N at the finish of a 1:48.1 mile. Soho Burning Love A settled for third with Kissin In The Sand fourth.
Returning $103.20 to win, Major Occasion A collected her fourth win from 11 starts this season and her 19th from 59 overall, earning $331,490. Richard “Nifty” Norman conditions the six-year-old Art Major mare who competes for owner Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
The Dorothy Haughton Memorial was part of a stakes-packed Saturday card at The Meadowlands. Read about the rest of the action in the Meadowlands Pace News Centre.