Hot and humid conditions greeted Meadowlands patrons on Saturday evening (July 22), with a pair of Arthur Tompkins Memorial events for three-year-old trotters highlighting the action.
In the $49,870 split for fillies, it was a dominate down the road win for Feed Your Head, as Yannick Gingras hustled her right to the lead from post three and carved out reasonable fractions of :27.4, :57, and 1:25, before effortlessly sprinting clear down the lane with a :27 final quarter to win by two and a quarter lengths in 1:52.
Jimmy Takter trains the daughter of Muscle Hill for Melby Gard Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida. It was the first win of her sophomore campaign, and a career-best effort. She returned $4.80 as the slight second choice, with 3-5 favourite Overdraft Volo (Andy Miller) having to settle for second after launching a first-over bid around the far turn.
The $59,370 split for colts attracted a contentious field of 10, and went as the seventh race of the night.
Perfect Spirit, fresh off a fourth place finish in the $500,000 Beal at Pocono, blasted right to the top and led the field through an opening quarter of :27.3 for trainer/driver Ake Svandstedt. He faced early pressure from his stablemate, Yes Mickey (Andrew McCarthy), who took over the lead up the backstretch. Fly On (Andy Miller) was left uncovered in a tough spot alongside the Svanstedt trainees past the half in a quick :55.2.
Fly On would eventually flatten out after the tough trip, which allowed the Svanstedt trainees to draw clear shortly after three-quarters in 1:23.4, making way for a stablemate slugfest down the lane, with Perfect Spirit using that pocket trip to edge by Yes Mickey to win by a half-length in a sparkling 1:51.2.
Perfect Spirit has now won three times in his last four starts for the SRF Stable of Delray Beach, Florida. Southwind Hydro (Marcus Johansson) rallied from far back to finish third, beaten four lengths.
Hambletonian hopeful International Moni won a $15,000 overnight event for three-year-old trotting colts earlier on the card. He got away in the pocket behind Enterprise (Tim Tetrick), and skimmed the cones to cruise to a one and a half length win in 1:52 over that rival. Frank Antonacci trains the son of Love You-Moni Maker for the Moni Maker Stable.
Fine Tuned Lady (Andy Miller) cruised to an easy victory in a $15,000 overnight for three-year-old trotting fillies, darting right to the lead en route to a 1:52.2 win. It was her ninth win in only her 19th career start for trainer John Butenschoen and owners William Wiswell and M&L of Delaware Inc.
Andrew McCarthy was the driving star of the night with four wins.
Total handle on the 12-race card was $2,056,320.
Live racing resumes next Friday. Post time is 7:15 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)