With Meadowlands mainstays Yannick Gingras and Tim Tetrick driving in stakes action at Yonkers, Corey Callahan has become the go-to guy at the Big M on Friday night.
He added another grand slam to his resume tonight. Since the start of the Levy and Matchmaker series at Yonkers, Callahan has won 26 races at the Meadowlands, 10 more than his nearest competitor, Andy Miller.
It helps when Callahan gets to drive horses like Ice Machine, who won the featured $30,000 A-1/FFA Handicap Trot in 1:52.3. Getting to the lead in :28.1, Ice Machine glided through a :58 half-mile, before trotting a :26.3 third quarter and holding off the talented Guccio in deep stretch to earn the victory. Guccio, making his first start of his four-year=old season, trotted a back-half in :54. Ice Machine is trained by Walter Carroll for owner/breeder Robert Key.
Callahan also found the winner's circle in the $16,000 second leg of the Night Styles Series with Day Blue Chip, who moved to the lead through a :56.3 half-mile, and rolled to an easy 1:53.2 score. Day Blue Chip and Callahan will go for a series sweep next Saturday night. The four-year-old pacing mare is trained by Linda Toscano for Blue Chip Bloodstock.
Once again the Meadowlands saw considerable gains in handle, despite a rainy and cold night in East Rutherford, with an increase of $711,053 in wagers or 24 per cent from this same Friday in 2012.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Meadowlands Racetrack.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)