The New Jersey Classic finals, with purses totalling $2.1 million, were contested on Friday, Sept. 6 at Meadowlands Racetrack with eight divisional champions crowned.
Trotting Colts
Tony Adams S sustained a first-over push through the far turn, inherited the lead as 3-5 favourite Sig Sauer broke stride turning for home, and led trainer Åke Svanstedt's one-two punch in the $337,838 New Jersey Classic final for three-year-old male trotters.
Tony Adams S and Dexter Dunn settled just off the speed in fourth as 16-1 shot Benny J (Joe Bongiorno) controlled a :27.3 first quarter before yielding to Sig Sauer, whom Andy McCarthy activated from third to take charge on the backstretch. With three-eighths to go, Dunn gave the Muscle Hill-Dreamgirl Hornline colt his cue to advance uncovered and he worked up to the flank of Sig Sauer at three-quarters in 1:23.4. Sig Sauer faltered off the turn for home as the pressure intensified and Tony Adams S inherited a 2-1/2-length lead at the eighth pole. He held sway through a :27.1 sprint home, keeping stablemate Mr Bluebird, driven by Svanstedt, a half length at bay in a lifetime best 1:51. Bellas Musclehill (David Miller) rallied mildly to take third.
"He was marching up pretty good on the last turn; I was trying to get him to slow down a little bit, actually," Dunn said of Tony Adams S. "He felt tremendous tonight and raced a good mile."
Tony Adams S, who competes as a homebred for Stall Arsenal AB, has now won three of eight races this year and five of 15 lifetime. The winner's share of the purse elevated his career earnings over the $500,000 mark.
Sent off as the 6-5 second choice, Tony Adams S paid $4.60 to win.
The $337,838 New Jersey Classic final for two-year-old male trotters shaped up as a battle royale between Hidalgo, Go Boom and Go Ahead Makemyday, but Onajetplane and driver Andy McCarthy stunned them all, sweeping three-wide around cover in mid-stretch to post a 12-1 upset.
McCarthy took his time early with the Walner-Noble Lover colt, sitting fifth through an eventful but moderate :57 first half. Just after Hidalgo (Yannick Gingras) took charge from Go Ahead Makemyday (David Miller) on approach to the far turn, Onajetplane latched onto third-over cover behind Go Boom (Dexter Dunn) and Mountcastle (Scott Zeron) and was towed into contention at the 1:25.3 three-quarter stage. McCarthy switched the Noel Daley trainee off cover in upper stretch and he responded with a powerful :26.4 stretch kick to upend Go Ahead Makemyday by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:53, shaving over two seconds off his previous career best. Hidalgo was a beaten third.
"We just had to take our time with him," said Daley, who shares ownership of Onajetplane, now a two-time winner in six career starts with nearly $200,000 in the bank, with Sjoblom Racing Inc., L A Express Stable and Joonas Jarvinen. "He's always been very genuine; it's just a matter of him getting squared away, and he seems to have done it now."
Daley also indicated that a combination of a patient drive from McCarthy and racing Onajetplane barefoot likely contributed to his New Jersey Classic victory.
"You can't get away with it all the time, but the track was good tonight," Daley said of his decision to remove Onajetplane's shoes.
"He's not the greatest to steer," Daley continued. "Once [McCarthy] had him straightened out, he's got a good turn of speed."
Onajetplane paid $26 to win as the fifth choice.
Trotting Fillies
Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Buy A Round breezed over the top of her peers and R Charm burst off a helmet to win in the $337,838 New Jersey Classic finals for three-year-old and two-year-old trotting fillies, respectively.
Buy A Round ripped from third-over without any urging from driver Andy McCarthy to score a 1:51.4 win, pulling away at the end of the mile.
The Noel Daley trainee this time had speed to chase after just missing from a first-half crawl in the elimination. Once Chaparmbro (Yannick Gingras) planted onto the point past a :27.4 first quarter, all eyes waited on the move by 1-2 favourite Warrawee Michelle (Åke Svanstedt), who plotted her course of attack from fourth. Eventually the pursuers forced her hand and she led the two-wide tier first-up into a :56.4 half.
Warrawee Michelle blitzed Chaparmbro around the final turn and seized the lead trotting to three-quarters in 1:24.4, leaving second-over Soiree Hanover (Tim Tetrick) with open road into the straightaway. Despite the brazen far-turn rush, Warrawee Michelle levelled off in the stretch as did Soiree Hanover to her outside. But McCarthy came calling with Buy A Round without raising the whip or a muscle to swoop to the lead and pull clear to victory by a widening two lengths. Stablemate Miss I La (Joe Bongiorno) pounced off a ground-saving trip to take second with Warrawee Michelle holding third from Soiree Hanover in fourth.
“The performance at Pocono was pretty dull [in the Delmonica Hanover]. That was first-time Lasix, so they decided to take her back off it and she’s been super sharp ever since,” said McCarthy. “I figured if they moved along a little bit more, we should be okay tonight. She’s just so fast. Crazy fast. If you wait for the right time, she can usually pick them off.”
A daughter of Walner out of the Cantab Hall mare On Your Tab, Buy A Round earned her third win from nine starts this season and her ninth victory from 18 starts in her career, good for more than $800,000 in earnings. She races for owner/breeder Fred Hertrich III.
The sophomore filly paid $8 to win.
R Charm emerged from the pack in a stretch sprint to collar tempo-setter Kendra and pull off a 19-1 upset in the two-year-old filly trot.
“Everything worked out perfectly,” for R Charm, as trainer Linda Toscano said after the race. Driver Scott Zeron found the daughter of Propulsion a seat to a :27.2 first quarter in fifth, a prime nest to catch a second-over ride as Lady Landia (Åke Svanstedt) began her uncovered pursuit out of fourth after Kendra to a :56.4 half.
Zeron steadily tipped R Charm from Lady Landia’s cover spinning off three-quarters in 1:26.1 and gathered steam while Kendra (Yannick Gingras) sputtered to the ropes. R Charm kept chugging and chugging, unfettered by the late-stretch break by Lady Landia, to overhaul Kendra in the last eighth and draw off to a two-length victory in a lifetime best 1:53.3. Delaney Hanover (Todd McCarthy), the 1-5 favourite, recovered from traffic trouble to snatch second from Kendra while Santa Caterina (Dexter Dunn) closed for fourth.
“I like this filly – I loved her every start,” said Toscano. “It was unfortunate going for big money in Canada that she made a break [in the Peaceful Way Stakes], but tonight I’m watching it unfold and I’m saying, ‘This is exactly what I was hoping. Let’s just hope she has some trot in the stretch,’ and she did.”
R Charm, out of the Credit Winner mare and Toscano graduate Jewels In Hock, won for the second time from eight starts and has now banked more than $200,000 for lessee M And L of Delaware LLC.
She paid $40.40 to win.
Pacing Colts
Two-year-old Captain Optimistic and three-year-old Arbitrage Hanover won the $202,703 New Jersey Classic finals for colt and gelding pacers.
Captain Optimistic, the prohibitive favourite at 1-9, floated off the gate for Yannick Gingras and followed Tom Horn (David Miller) through the first turn and into a :26.3 first quarter. Tom Horn moved to the lead and past Manolete (Todd McCarthy) into the backstretch, leaving Captain Optimistic on the outside.
First-over and gliding, Gingras volleyed Captain Optimistic past Tom Horn and guided the field to the half in :55.1.
"I didn't want to get to the lead," Gingras said after the race, "but he felt great and I didn't want to be stuck near the back."
McCarthy urged Manolete to challenge for the top again, passing Tom Horn and attempting to duel with Captain Optimistic as he clocked the 1:24.1 three-quarters. Captain Optimistic "responded well," said Gingras after the race, as the pair easily dismissed the challenge with a :26 final panel to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:50.1, a personal best.
Manolete held second-over a fast-closing Papis Pistol (Andy Miller), who made up a lot of ground after being rough-gaited around the first turn and forced to retreat.
Nancy Takter trains Captain Optimistic, a colt by Captaintreacherous out of the Art Official mare Cinamony. The win was the fourth in five starts and the lion's share of the purse raised the rookie's earnings to more than $145,000.
"The equipment changes worked well," said Gingras. "He was good in his mouth. He steered good and straight."
Fair Winds Farm bred the colt owned by 3 Brothers Stables, Marvin Katz and Caviart Farms.
The winner paid $2.20.
In the New Jersey Classic final for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers, favourites Arbitrage Hanover and Wish You Well dominated around the two turns and against the six other sophomores, but Arbitrage Hanover got the best of his major foe to win by a length in 1:50.2 with Todd McCarthy in the bike.
Longshot Swimwiththecurrent (Dexter Dunn) managed the top spot going into the first turn, but was quickly confronted by Arbitrage Hanover and Wish You Well (David Miller) heading to a :27.4 first panel. Wish You Well landed on the lead in the backstretch with all happy to sit behind him, all except McCarthy. Undaunted by his foe, McCarthy took to the outside and reclaimed control past a :55.4 half.
Arbitrage Hanover remained on the muscle to three-quarters in 1:24.3 and continued with all four cylinders revving. McCarthy ghosted Wish You Well in the lane as Arbitrage Hanover won easily. Wish You Well settled for second and Swimwiththecurrent, the bettors’ third choice, completed the top three.
Trainer Brett Pelling said that Arbitrage Hanover "had some glitches at two" but "we're super happy how he's come back [at three]. We think he's nice enough to race at four," Pelling said, noting that he won't be entered in this year's Breeders Crown.
Arbitrage Hanover is a son of Bettors Wish out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Ana Hanover. Pelling Racing LLC, Rojan Stables and Bridle Path Stables own Arbitrage Hanover, who paid $5.60 to win.
Picking up his sixth win from eight starts this year and seventh win overalll, the gelding raised his bankroll to more than $380,000.
Pacing Fillies
Sophomore Rocket Deo and freshman My Sweet Lily had no problems making their early foot take them to the wire and then to Victory Lane in the $202,703 New Jersey Classic finals for pacing fillies.
Rocket Deo, a daughter of Captaintreacherous out of double millionaire Rocklamation, was sent off at 1-5 odds in the final for three-year-old pacing fillies and she lived up to that billing with a 1:50.1 victory.
Andy McCarthy was content to race Rocket Deo behind the early cover of his brother Todd, guiding second choice Miraculous Deo, as that one cleared just past a :26.3 initial split. Rocket Deo then moved to the front, reaching the half in :55.3 and then three-quarters in 1:23.3 as Donegal Spirit (Dexter Dunn) gained uncovered on the far turn. The race boiled down to these three, with Miraculous Deo edging out of the pocket late and Donegal Spirit lasting bravely after the grinding trip, but they were no match for Rocket Deo, who triumphed by a length over Miraculous Deo, with Donegal Spirit another neck back in third.
Rocket Deo, whom Brett Pelling trains, now has eight seasonal victories from 11 starts and nine wins overall, with a lifetime bankroll of over $460,000 for Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding.
“She’s a big, robust filly,” noted McCarthy. “I wasn’t really worried about my filly [holding onto the lead]. I gave her a few taps to remind her to go on; she always gives her best every week.”
In the New Jersey Classic for two-year-old pacing fillies, 4-5 favourite My Sweet Lily was driven like she was the best by Yannick Gingras, and she came home in :26.4 to set a lifetime mark of 1:51.2.
The daughter of Sweet Lou-Mimis Lily cleared longshot Fashion Terror (Andy Miller) just before a :27.4 quarter with Worklifebalance (Dexter Dunn) and Reckless Abandon (Todd McCarthy) landing in third and fourth, respectively. Gingras backed off the half to :56.4, then turned up the speed to reach the three-quarters in 1:24.3 as Worklifebalance went first-over entering the far turn, with Reckless Abandon on her back.
Into the stretch, My Sweet Lily opened a clear advantage with Fashion Terror not quite keeping tight in the pocket, Worklifebalance giving way after her two-move effort and Reckless Abandon not able to produce enough late kick. Instead, the best late foot came from Rodeo Drive Deo (David Miller), who flew home from fourth-over to get within 1-1/4 lengths of My Sweet Lily. Fashion Terror lasted for third in a photo over Daily Double Deo (Andy McCarthy).
Nancy Takter, who trains My Sweet Lily for Marvin and Lynn Katz and Caviart Farms, said, “She may have been a bit short in her debut [ last time out at Harrah's Philadelphia] because she missed some time and I needed a race for her. But now she is showing the ability I thought she always had in her. We’re considering the Shes A Great Lady [at Woodbine Mohawk Park] for her.”
All-source handle on the 14-race program totalled $3,013,372 USD, marking the 42nd time from 64 programs that betting bettered the $3-million USD mark this year at The Meadowlands
Racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m., with the final live card of harness racing at The Big M until Oct. 18.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack; Photo of My Sweet Lily, R Charm, Captain Optimistic, Buy A Round, Rocket Deo, Tony Adams S, Arbitrage Hanover, Onajetplane)