Me And Cinderella turned his Pennsylvania Stallion Series rivals into pumpkins Monday at The Meadows when he triumphed in 1:57 to equal the stake record.
The $120,000 event for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters was contested over six divisions, with Rossini, Smoother Ride, Well Spiced, Valley Of Sin and Spiro De Vie taking the other $20,000 splits. Dave Palone enjoyed a stakes double with Me And Cinderella and Smoother Ride among his five wins on the 16-race card.
Palone allowed Me And Cinderella to get away third but sent him after the lead at the quarter. The son of Cantab Hall-Missys Goalfire drew off to score by 2-1/2 lengths over Bullish, with Celebrity Maserati third. The time matched the stake record established by Broadway Zinger last year.
“He’s cool,” Palone said. “He’s looking around at everything scoring down, has his mind on everything but racing. Then he goes in behind the gate, and he’s a little gentleman. Every time you speak to him, he wants to do his work for you.”
Joe Holloway trains Me And Cinderella, who has won four of six starts for Bluestone Farms.
Rossini was an equally facile winner, scoring on the front end for trainer/driver Jim Raymer and owner/breeder Steve Organ in 1:58.1. High Gear Winner was second, 3-1/2 lengths in arrears, while VC Eclipse earned show.
“I thought he could get clear sailing in this race and that he wouldn’t be challenged,” said Raymer of the Classic Photo-Beverly Crusher gelding. “We raced his grandmother and his mother. They’ve all had the physical attributes of good horses, and he’s smart about it. Beverly Crusher died in foal last year, so he’s the last one. That’s the only reason we didn’t sell him at Harrisburg; we were sort of sentimental about him.”
Smoother Ride was out before the half en route to a 1-1/4-length victory over the rallying Punxsutawney in 1:58.2. Marat completed the ticket.
“He’s done everything so easy we don’t know how fast he can go when he’s pushed,” said Toni Rose, assistant to winning trainer Steve Elliott. “Steve wants to give him a few starts this year and have him ready for next year. After the stallion series final, I think he’s pretty much done.”
Angelo Frassetto and Elliott own the son of Yankee Glide-Mazda Hanover.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Not Listed Preferred/Preferred Handicap Pace, My Drag Queen made it four wins in her last six starts by finding late room and prevailing for Aaron Merriman in 1:52.3, a head better than the first-over Crossthreaded. NY Yankees finished third. Marcus Marashian trains the four-year-old daughter of Dragon Again-Kinki for Bill Bercury.
Stake racing at The Meadows resumes Tuesday with three divisions of the $311,725 Florida Pro, a Pennsylvania Sires Stake for freshman colt and gelding trotters. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)