The Meadowlands' first ‘Winter Series Final Spectacular’ of the 2015 season takes place on Saturday, January 24 at the East Rutherford, NJ oval. The finals for the Super Bowl, Worldly Beauty and Escort Series highlight the 13-race card which also features a leg of World Harness Handicapping Championship and possibly a few big carryover pools.
The series finals begin with the $50,000 Super Bowl in Race 3. A powerful three-pronged entry that contains two potential sweepers in Propulsion and Opulent Yankee will grab much of the play here.
Propulsion was a comfortable winner in both legs and has won half of his 10 career starts for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brittany Farms, Katz, Goldband, Libfeld, Sbrocco and Little E, LLC. He’ll launch from Post 1 for regular driver Tim Tetrick.
Opulent Yankee owns the fastest Super Bowl leg win with his 1:53.2 score last week, but has drawn the far outside for Saturday’s tilt. Julie Miller trains him for ownership group Little E, LLC, Geiger, Settlemoir & Stolz. Driver Andy Miller must fashion a winning trip from the undesirable starting point. For more on Opulent Yankee, click here.
Julie Miller also trains the third member of the entry, Blocking The Way, a Leg 1 winner racing for new owners Surick, Eisman and Hochsprung who plucked him out of Monday's Tattersalls mixed sale for $30,000.
JL Cruze and Two Hip Dip shall attempt to deflate the favoured entity.
The sixth race is the $47,600 Worldly Beauty final, which offers a rematch between Witch Dali and Donttellruss.
Witch Dali swept through the Niagara Series at Woodbine Racetrack through December and looked invincible for the Worldly Beauty with a stunning 1:51.1 win in Leg 1, but Donttellruss had the answer last week from the pocket.
Tony Alagna trains Witch Dali for his own interest as Alagna Racing, LLC in partnership with Bradley Grant and will again call on Tetrick to find the answer from Post 9.
Donttellruss gets a new pilot for the final with Corey Callahan replacing the Prix d’Amerique-bound Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke. She begins from Post 6 for Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Karr and Baldachino.
The $56,000 Escort final is the seventh race on the docket and trainer Ron Burke has a very strong hand in this one.
Major Uptrend cruised in the first leg, but broke as the heavy favourite in Leg 2. He has displayed a quick turn of foot on a number of occasions this winter. Corey Callahan returns to the sulky for owner Howard Taylor and will begin from Post 5.
Burke also sends out the improving What I Believe from just inside his main rival in the Escort final. The four-year-old has really found his best form on the one-mile track, winning three of four at the Meadowlands including Leg 1 by a scant nose and dead-heating for a win in Leg 2. He will also get a new driver in Brett Miller in the final for owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.
The World Harness Handicapping Championship opens the contest season for 2015 and you may enter until 7 p.m. on Saturday.
The Super Hi-5 Jackpot carryovers are at $34,076 for Race 5 and $52,684 in the last race heading into this week’s racing which begins Thursday at 7:15 p.m. Thursday programs are free at the track.
(Meadowlands)