Medusa continued to wreak havoc in the fillies and mares open handicap division at the Meadowlands Friday night, taking the featured $25,000 pace by 2-1/2 lengths in dominant wire-to-wire fashion.
The five-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight has now won three straight Big M female features and five-in-a-row overall for owners Randall Bendis and Thomas Pollack.
Yannick Gingras had the drive behind the Andrew Federico, Jr. trainee and left the gate quickly. Longshot Inittowinafortune extended her slightly around the first turn before Medusa made the top at the quarter in :27. A rated second fraction saw the 6-5 public choice hit the half in :55 as none of her six opponents came after the eventual winner. Medusa was clear of the field by 2-1/4 lengths at three-quarters in 1:22.2 before cruising under the wire – while lowering her lifetime-best for a third straight start – and stopping the clock in 1:49. The fast-closing Katie Said, sent off as the 2-1 second choice, finished second, while Inittowinafortune held on for third.
Medusa returned $4.40 to win and has now won 11 of 20 starts this season.
Every Way Out rolled by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:55 in the final leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers as the 1-9 favourite and figures to once again be an extremely short price in next Friday’s final.
Fly On was a pocket-popping winner for Team Miller in the NJSS leg for two-year-old colt trotters, getting past pacesetter Southwind Cobra in the stretch for the 1:55.4 maiden-breaking score. The Andy Miller Stable co-owns the son of Muscle Hill - Calchips Finisher along with Arden Homestead Stable of Delhi, N.Y. and GTY Stable of Englishtown, N.J.
The two outside posts provided no problems for Checkmate Time and Waffle Cone, the 1-2 finishers in the NJSS leg for two-year-old filly trotters. These two slugged it out in a thrilling stretch drive, with Checktime Time (Scott Zeron) holding on for the nose decision over Waffle Cone (Yannick Gingras) in a lifetime best 1:55.
A homebred owned by Roy Dobbins of Bryant, Al., Checkmate Time (Muscle Hill - Miss Checkmate) is now 2-for-2 for trainer Dennis Laterza.
Favoured Livinginthedream made every call a winning one in the NJSS leg for freshman filly pacers, going gate-to-wire for driver Marcus Miller in 1:55.3.
A homebred owned by Ron Michelon of Northbrook, Ill. and trainer Erv Miller's stable, Livinginthedream (If I Can Dream - Fox Valley Lucerne) notched her second score in three lifetime outings.
Marion Marauder ($15.20), last when they turned for home, rallied through the stretch and found a seam late to take the three-year-old open colt and gelding trot in 1:52.2, gunning down 2-5 favourite Dog Gone Lucky nearing the wire.
(with files from The Meadowlands)