Golden Receiver stamped himself the one to beat in next week’s $110,500 Presidential final with another gate-to-wire score in the second leg of the series Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
After firing to the lead, Golden Receiver relaxed through softer middle fractions and gamely held off I Wanna Go Fast and River Shark for a three-quarter-length tally in 1:49.2. Driven by Brian Sears, Golden Receiver paid $3 to win the $40,000 tenth race Presidential split. The 7-year-old Village Jove gelding surpassed $700,0000 in career earnings for trainer Mark Harder and owners Stable 45, Richard Taylor, Stephen Springer and Nina Simmonds.
Vintage Master [$6.60] and driver Dan Dube attacked first over and wore down Annieswesterncard late in the lane to win the second Presidential split, race four, in 1:49.1. The 6-year-old son of Western Ideal, trained by Jimmy Takter, will retire after racing in the Presidential final. He enters his final start with a record of 17 wins in 73 career starts and $2,152,113 in earnings. Vintage Master was bred by Brittany Farms and is racing under the banner of Winbak Farm of Canada Inc.
The Presidential shares the marquee with the $74,000 Complex and $73,000 Clyde Hirt finals next Saturday, January 28.
Stakes Quartet Joins Summer Line-Up At Meadowlands
Four major stakes have been relocated to the Meadowlands in 2012 to enhance the racing opportunities for younger horses during the Championship Meet.
Nominations are due February 15 for the W.N. Reynolds and John F. Simpson Memorial stakes for 2 and 3-year-olds, administered by the Hambletonian Society, and the Moni Maker and Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old fillies, administered by The Red Mile.
The $660,000 (est.) Reynolds will be contested with divisions for 3-year-old pacers on June 30; 3-year-old trotters on July 6 (fillies) and July 7 (colts); and 2-year-olds on July 5 (trotters) and July 6 (pacers). The $355,000 (est.) Simpson for 3-year-old pacers will be held over May 4 and 5, with trotters taking their turns on May 11. The divisions for 2-year-olds will be contested June 28 (trotters) and June 29 (pacers).
In addition to the Reynolds and Simpson, the $200,000 (est.) Nadia Lobell and $200,000 (est.) Moni Maker for 3-year-old fillies will move to the Meadowlands in 2012 to enhance the already substantial program for sophomores. The Nadia Lobell for pacers will be raced July 20, while the Moni Maker for trotters will be contested on August 17.
Applications for the Reynolds and Simpson are available online at www.hambletonian.org.
Nominations for the Moni Maker and Nadia Lobell should be sent to The Red Mile, 1200 Red Mile Road, P.O. Box 420 , Lexington , KY 40588
