Two $88,000 divisions of the Tarport Hap for three-year-old filly pacers were contested Saturday evening at Meadowlands Racetrack
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In the first division, Put On A Show delivered another impressive performance, pacing to victory in 1:50. Driver Brian Sears guided her three-wide to take over the lead, and she drew off to a four-length win. Dancin Barefoot was second, while Seriously finished third.
“I was playing golf about nine years ago and a friend of mine said he knew this guy in Florida who played bridge,” said first-time owner Craig Henderson. “I like to play bridge and Richard [Young] and I became friends over the years. He asked me to buy a horse with him so I decided to buy this one. For whatever reason I said no for five years and then I decided to buy this one. I have no idea why, it was total luck. I am starting at the top and it’s all downhill from here.”
The daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Stienams Place was a $75,000 yearling purchase from Lexington Selected Sales for owners Craig Henderson of Chicago, Illinois and Richard and Joanne Young of Coconut Creek, Florida. Put On A Show is now 13-for-16 lifetime with $1,222,898 in earnings.
“She’s definitely a high quality filly,” said Sears, who subbed for her regular partner Tim Tetrick. “She’s a big rugged mare and won it in 1:50 here about as easily as she could. I was just kind of waiting, I knew somebody was probably going to make a move to the front; and I just wanted to be the last one there. When [Yannick Gingras] came I just started her up and she went on to win in hand. She knows how to get it done.”
Dancinwiththestarz won the second division by a nose in a three-horse scramble to the finish in 1:50.3 for her new trainer Mark Harder. Feeling You held on for second and Panagler was a head back in third. The daughter of Four Starzzz Shark-So Western was a $39,000 yearling purchase from the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She improved her record to 14 wins in 19 starts lifetime for owners Springtime Racing Stb. of Johnstown, New York and Shannon Brott of Gloversville, New York. Dancinwiththestarz paid $7.40 to win.
“This is a really nice filly,” said Sears. “I raced her all along last year as a two-year-old and she was the best filly in Pennsylvania in the final and she’s got some talent. I would have liked an easier trip with her but she was game enough to hold on at the wire.”
“You only have to look at her record to know what my impression of her is,” said Harder, who took over training the filly two weeks ago. “She’s a talented filly obviously. We tried her for the first time in an open bridle. Tonight Brian was going to try to work out a trip and get her off the helmet. She’s just been raced so much on the front, it didn’t really work out. She was actually very game tonight compared to what she was at The Meadows.”
Put On A Show and Dancinwiththestarz could face off in the $400,000 (est.) Mistletoe Shalee, part of the Hambletonian Day race card on August 7.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)