Despite being away from the races for more than two months, Avanti proved ready to go in his first start for trainer Per Engblom, working out a perfect trip on the way to taking the Saturday, July 18 feature at The Meadowlands, a $21,831 high-end conditioned event for pacers.
Avanti was away quickly from post four in the eight-horse field, sitting a pocket trip from start to stretch behind veteran millionaire Southwind Gendry (Joe Bongiorno), who led at the quarter in :26.3 and half in :55.3. Papis Pistol (Patrick Ryder), the 3-5 favourite, was right alongside Southwind Gendry at three-quarters in 1:24 and looked like he was on the way to an easy win. But he flattened out in deep stretch as driver Brett Beckwith found room along the inside with Avanti to grab a 1-1/2-length win over a fast-closing Effingham (Brad Chisholm) as Papis Pistol faded to third. The time for the mile was 1:50.2.
“As usual, with Brett, they got a perfect trip,” said Engblom. “[Avanti] trained a very nice mile at the farm last week but maybe he was a little better tonight than I expected.”
Engblom recently acquired an interest in the four-year-old gelded son of Rockin Image-Sayulita.
“One of my long-time partners, Evan Katz, owned a piece of this horse and approached me if I wanted to try him, and eventually Engblom Farm bought a piece of him," he said.
Avanti shows strong potential to be a high earner in overnights, as he’s now won eight of 42 lifetime outings, good for earnings of $385,344. He is two-for-eight on the year for owners Evans Nation, Engblom Farm LLC, J.R. Ryan and Collin Ryan. As the 16-1 fifth choice in the betting, he returned $35.60 to win.
Joe Bongiorno led the driver colony with four winners on the 15-race program.
Big M TV veteran Dave Little treated his followers to a big night at the windows, selecting seven winners on top, including Whammer Jammer (first race, $5.60 to win, $47 exactor), Gobstopper (second race, $11.20 to win, $38.80 daily double) and Go Long (ninth race, $16.80 to win, $56.80 exactor, $148.60 triactor). All-source betting totalled $2,125,571.
Racing resumes Friday at 6:35 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)