If you like three-year-olds, then you’d love what The Meadowlands had to offer on Friday night
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Currently in the midst of Historic Week, the New Jersey oval rolled out the red carpet for trotting fillies in divisions of the Coaching Club Trotting Oaks while the trotting colts and geldings went toe-to-toe in the Dickerson Cup. Pacing fillies butted heads in the Ladyship Stake.
The toteboard told no lies in the opener when Margarita Momma delivered on a 4-5 pair-mutuel promise in the opening split of the Coaching Club Trotting Oaks for the tandem of driver Ron Pierce and trainer Jan Johnson. The daughter of Yankee Glide-Sheena Hall rallied to win in 1:56 over Gabbys Gambol and Graceful Sister.
“She was well within herself; very nice,” said driver Ron Pierce. “She’s good with whatever you want to do, she can do it both ways. She went some very tough trips in Lexington last year, but she has bounced right back. I like her a lot.”
The filly went 6-for-12 last season, and she’s now 3-for-3 to start her 2009 season for Jorgen Jahre, Jr. of Sandefjord, Norway and Jan Johnson of Lighthouse Point, FL. The lion’s share of Friday’s purse lifted her lifetime earnings to $377,663.
It was a pylon-skimming score in the second division for Seaside, who came up with a solid effort for trainer Jonas Czernyson and driver David Miller after some shaky performances in recent weeks. The daughter of Yankee Glide-Blue Skys Again stepped to a career-best clocking of 1:54.2 en route to defeating OK To Play and Broadway Schooner.
“They put the trotting hopples on her for the first time and they seemed to help, she had a tendency to make breaks in the past, too,” said driver David Miller. “I left with her and got covered up and got a two hole trip and got up the fence. I wanted to put her on the lead, but it worked out.”
Thomas Dillon or Anson, ME holds the papers on the nine-time winner, who has stashed away more than $215,000 to date.
Driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Noel Daley joined forces to capture the first division of the Dickerson Cup with Cesar A Blue Chip, who used an off-the-pace to stop the teletimer in a career-best clocking of 1:54.1. Hot Shot Blue Chip was a hard-closing runner-up and third prize went to Russell Hill.
"He’s got a nice little motor and high speed, but there’s still some little kinks they’ve got to work out," said driver Tim Tetrick. “The speed is there, they’ve just got to work on shoeing things or something. He’s just not 100% flat and square the whole time. He had an iffy trip, but he overcame it. I had to work him up the backside to get up to cover, and when I pulled him he responded late.
The son of Andover Hall-Glad You Asked went 2-for-10 in his rookie season, and he has already put together a 2-0-1 record in his first three starts of the 2009 campaign. The colt has banked $85,828 to date for Lindy Racing Stable, Adam Victor And Son Stable and Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.
After a sub-par performance one week ago at The Meadowlands, Explosive Matter rebounded with a sharp performance in the second division of the Dickerson Cup for the duo of driver Ron Pierce and trainer Noel Daley. The son of Cantab Hall-Fireworks Hanover exploded off cover and drew off to win in 1:55 over Citation Lindy and Tom Cango.
“He was good tonight, he had a nice easy week because he was a little sick last week,” said driver Ron Pierce. “I just wanted to put a nice mile into him, and that’s what we did. There are a lot of nice colts out there, there are a few colts out there in the division that can rise to the occasion.”
Adam Victor & Son Stable LLC of New York, New York bred and owns the seven-time winner, who watched his overall bankroll soar to $388,598.
Not even a grueling first-over trip against race favourite Indulge Me could stand in the way of Precious Stone from making her way to the winner’s circle in the lone division of the Ladyship Stakes. John Campbell mapped out the winning trip for the Richard “Nifty” Norman trainee, who defeated Indulge Me and Racing Star in a career-best clocking of 1:52.
“She’s had a lot of tough racing luck this year, but she was very good tonight,” said Myron Bell of Brittany Farms. “She’s been very competitive; she’s sound and she tries very hard. Nifty [trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman] has done a great job with her.”
Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky bred and owns the daughter of Western Ideal-Bewitching, who has put together a 2-2-0 in her first 10 starts of the season. The winning paycheque bumped her overall bankroll to $136,101.
To view Friday’s results, click here.