A pair of $20,000 eliminations for the Merrie Annabelle for two-year-old trotting fillies were contested Thursday
night at Meadowlands Racetrack, with Thatsnotmyname and Hey Mister winning their respective assignments.
John Campbell guided Thatsnotmyname first over to win the opening elimination in a career best 1:55.1. The bay daughter of Windsongs Legacy-Graceful Touch was 3-1/2 lengths ahead of runner-up Fitness Girl, while Redwhitenbluestone wound up third. Angelette Hanover and Alzata Hanover, who rounded out the top five, also advanced to next week’s final
Thatsnotmyname was a $250,000 yearling purchase from the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, PA. She now has two wins in three starts for trainer Jimmy Takter. Thatsnotmyname is owned by Order By Stable of Boras, Sweden. She paid $3.00 to win.
“She raced up first over but she’s very strong, said Campbell. “Every start she’s been good and she seems to be improving. I think [we can expect more from her], she has room to improve because she hasn’t been extended much in her last few races and she wasn’t tired at all. We certainly have a big advantage picking our post position for next week.”
Hey Mister made her racing debut a successful one thanks to her win in the second elimination for driver John Campbell and trainer Jeff Webster. The homebred daughter of Muscles Yankee-Pick Me Up trotted to an easy victory in 1:56.2. Grace Marie was two lengths back in second and Tango Dancer was third. Crème De Cocoa and Refuse To Lose also advanced to next week’s final.
Hey Mister is owned by Let It Ride Stables and Mentally Stable, both of Delray Beach, FL and Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY. She paid $27.80 to win.
“She did it on her own and came first over,” said Campbell. “The fractions were very good for first over because I didn’t have to use her the third quarter. When I asked her to trot home she stepped home very nice. She’s a little green and actually wasn’t extended that much.”
The $525,000 (est.) Merrie Annabelle final will be contested on August 7, part of the Hambletonian Day race card. The winners from the two eliminations will be given the opportunity to pick their post position for the race.
(The Meadowlands)
To view Thursday’s results, click here.