The Kindergarten Classic finals worth nearly $600,000 in purses lead the Saturday night’s program of live racing at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Colt trotters will get the show underway in Race 2, which carries a purse of $200,600. Breeders Crown winner Walner will likely be a heavy favourite as he wraps up his remarkable freshman campaign. The son of Chapter Seven has won six of his seven seasonal outings, including a 1:51.3 world record, and boasts $388,750 in earnings this season for owner Ken Jacobs, trainer Linda Toscano and regular driver Tim Tetrick.
Pacing colts will take to the track for Race 4. Chip Walther has drawn the favour of the morning line oddsmaker from his outside Post 8. The Art Major colt has found his best form this fall, as he has won his last three races, including a division of the International Stallion Stakes at the Red Mile in 1:50.3. Chip Walther was a game first-over 1:51.2 winner in last week's fifth Kindergarten leg for driver Marcus Miller. Chip Walther will look to double his career bankroll on Saturday. He is owned by Erv Miller, Paymaq Racing, Nick Surick and Louis Willinger.
The trotting fillies are a contentious group of ten, and they will battle in Race 6. A case could be made for several of the diagonally-gaited debutantes in their pursuit of the big share of the $190,200. Sunshine Delight, hot on the heels of a solid third in an uncovered Breeders Crown effort, will start from the rail for driver John Campbell and may be primed for a top effort. Sunshine Delight has earned more than $110,000 in a consistent season for owner James Wilhite Jr and trainer Staffan Lind.
The pacing fillies will race for a purse of $149,100 in Race 10. They are led by Breeders Crown winner Someomensomewhere. She's a barnmate of the aforementioned Chip Walther in the Erv Miller stable and shares other common components in driver Marcus Miller and owner Nick Surick, who owns the filly in partnership with KDM Stable. A winner now of more than $400,000, Someomensomewhere's most recent efforts have been her best, and a win on Saturday would go a long way in her campaign for year-end honours.
Saturday is also Breeders’ Cup Day, as the finest in Thoroughbred racing will compete in their biggest events. They'll begin at 1:15 p.m. and continue through the $6-million Cup Classic at 8:30 p.m.
Post time for the live racing is 7:15 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)