The majority of the spotlight on the sophomore trotters during the Hambletonian Day card will fall on the 2020 Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks, but a number of three-year-old trotters not in those events were in action on the undercard.
Caviart Eva took advantage of a late miscue from Sweet Shirley Mae to win the $30,000 Contintental Victory for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Favoured Sans Defaut (Matt Kakaley) cleared to the lead around the three-eighths mark after Dip Me Hanover (David Miller) hit the first quarter in :27.1. The half was reached in :55.4, with the backfield starting to approach from first over.
Driver Andy McCarthy positioned Caviart Eva in second over striking position behind Sweet Shirley Mae (Tim Tetrick) as Sans Defaut fronted the field turning for home, with the third quarter reached in 1:25.4. Sweet Shirley Mae cleared to the lead and looked home-free until a deep stretch break in stride took her out of contention. McCarthy had Caviart Eva clear of the breaker in the three path and comfortably trotted home for the 1:53.3 victory.
Sweet Shirley Mae finished second but was placed sixth for being offstride and gaining under the wire. That disqualification moved Dip Me Hanover from third to second, with Musclesandmascara (Yannick Gingras) placed third from fourth.
Nancy Takter trains Caviart Eva (Trixton - Caviart Elle), a homebred of Buk & Judy Chaffee's Caviart Farms of Vienna, Va. Caviart Eva now sports win in half her sophomore starts, with earnings of $97,090 lifetime.
Ontario-sired Beads was unable to qualify for the Hambletonian but made the most of his Saturday appearance in the $50,000 Muscle Hill for three-year-old male trotters.
Yannick Gingras placed 3/5 choice on the lead in front of his eight rivals from the onset. After a :27.1 opening panel, Beads faced pressure from Chestnut Hill (David Miller) through a :54.4 half before repelling that rival heading into the final turn. Beads hit the homestretch after a 1:22.4 third quarter, and sprinted away from pocket-sitter Beyond Kronos (Tim Tetrick) to win by three lengths in a new lifetime best 1:51.2. Beyond Kronos and Chestnut Hill completed the triactor.
Trained by Per Engblom for owners Renee Spahr of York, Penn. and Christina Takter of East Windsor, N.J., Beads won for the first time in six starts this season. The winner's share of the purse nearly doubled his seasonal bankroll, now situated at $53,133.
The Continentalvictory and Muscle Hill Stakes are two of many stakes contested on the Hambletonian Day card at The Meadowlands. Read about the rest of the action in the Hambletonian Day News Centre.