Trainer Tony Alagna is undoubtedly hoping he can carry his momentum from one night to the next.
Alagna, who has a total of five horses in the two Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace eliminations Saturday night, started his weekend in a big way, winning four stakes divisions on the Friday (July 6) program at the Meadowlands.
The trainer got things going in the first race with Mollydooker ($4.20 to win as the second choice, Brett Miller driving) in a $15,000 division of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies. The daughter of Great Vintage completed the mile in 1:55.1.
Treacherous Reign ($4.60 as the second choice, Andy McCarthy) took race four, a $10,000 division of the Kindergarten for two-year-old fillies on the pace. The time for the mile was 1:53.1 for the daughter of Captaintreacherous.
Odds On Boca Raton ($9 as the second choice, Scott Zeron) won the sixth race, a Kindergarten for two-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. The Captaintreacherous product stopped the clock in 1:53.4.
Alagna’s four-bagger was completed in race 13 as Captain Ahab ($5.40 as the third choice, McCarthy), won another Kindergarten for juvenile male pacers. Sired by Captaintreacherous, Captain Ahab hit the wire in 1:52.2.
Captaintreacherous' offspring swept the Kindergarten round with Izzy Hanover ($2.80, Zeron) prevailing by a nose in the other division in 1:53.2 for trainer Nancy Johansson.
Amid the stakes action, McCarthy guided the Noel Daley-trained Mother Bonnie to a 12-1 upset in the $20,000 12th race for NJSS two-year-old filly trotters, giving him career win 2,000. The winning time was 1:55 flat for the daughter of Trixton.
French Cafe ($2.20), sired by Father Patrick, won the other NJSS two-year-old filly trot in 1:58.1 for Andy and Julie Miller.
Driver David Miller and trainer Joe Holloway swept the NJSS trotting colt divisions with Father Patrick gelding Lucius Vorenus ($9.40) scoring in 1:58 and Trixton son Battenberg ($2.80) winning in 1:55.4.
Hurrikane Emperor, sired by Hurrikane Kingcole, dominated a $15,000 non-wagering division for pacing colts despite a miscue, scoring by four lengths in 1:56.1 with Dan Dube aboard for John McDermott Jr.
A LITTLE MORE: The Big M’s signature 50-cent Pick-4 was extremely popular, as the pool reached the $100,000 mark for the first time since May 19. A total of $112,478 was poured into pot, and the odds of the winners in the sequence were 2-1, 3-1, 6-5 and even-money, leading to a payoff of $73.10. … A pair of lucky players went 10-for-10 in the 20-cent Survivor Pick-10 and cashed in for $6,989. … The late 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five failed to result in a single-ticket winner, upping the carryover to $273,937. In the event no one hits the jackpot Saturday, the wager will have a mandatory payout on Friday, July 13. … All-source wagering on the card was $2,318,503. … Racing resumes Saturday at the Big M with a special post time of 6:35 p.m. Food and drink specials, the 1st annual Wiener Dog Derby, a fabulous fireworks show and eliminations for the $701,830 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace will all be a part of what promises to be a big night.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)