M1 - A Rocknroll Dance Captures $600,000 Meadowlands Pace

by Carol Hodes for Meadowlands Racetrack

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – July 14, 2012 – Yannick Gingras pumped his fist as he approached the wire as he guided A Rocknroll Dance to a length and a half victory in the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace on Saturday night, July 14, 2012 at the Meadowlands.

It was Gingras’ third stakes victory on the night – he also won the $100,000 Meadowlands Pace Consolation with Hurrikane Kingcole and a $153,000 Stanley Dancer Division with Little Brown Fox – and the biggest night in his career. 

“It’s the one race that got away from me,” Gingras said, referring to his runner-up finish with the 2004 Pace favorite, Timesareachanging.  “I was young, and I made a mistake.”

Gingras, the leading driver at the Meadowlands this year, redeemed himself with A Rocknroll Dance [$11.40, $6.00, $4.60], his seventh Pace starter, as he rolled him to the lead by the 54.2 half and drew away to a 1:48.1 clocking, a career best for the three-year-old son of New Jersey’s premier pacing stallion, Rocknroll Hanover, out of the Cam’s Card Shark mare Wichita Hanover.

Rocknroll Hanover, the 2005 Meadowlands Pace winner who stands at Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge, NJ, also sired runner-up Pet Rock [$12.20, $4.40].

Allstar Legend [$22.40], the 102-1 longshot, finished third, a neck back of Pet Rock.

The crowd of 13,056 was up from the 12,593 last year.

A Rocknroll Dance was a $15,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase for trainer Jim Mulinix of Wausen, OH, who shares ownership with Diamond Creek Farm of Paris, KY; Denny Miller of Archbold, OH and Jerry and Teresa Silva Stables of Long Beach, NY.

The colt now has three wins, two seconds and one third in eight starts this year and a career record of 10 wins, five seconds and one third in 19 tries for a bankroll of $1,377,250.

“I was a little nervous because the weather’s been so hot, and my horse has been heading back and forth [to Ohio],” said Mulinix.  “We ship him home every week and make sure he gets green grass every day.

“I sold almost every horse I had, but I wanted to buy something before I retired,” he added.  “I’m 60 years old.  It’s a good think I had a partner on him.  I spent $15,000 on him, but I spent $18,000 on staking him.”

“Jim was not really happy that I was in the front, but I set that horse up the last couple of weeks and I knew he had a big mile in him tonight,” said the 32-year-old Gingras.  “I’m very pleased with the way he raced.  My horse felt super. 

“I wish my grandfather [Jean-Marc Gingras] was here,” said Gingras, his eyes moistening.  “He’s my number one fan and that’s who I was thinking about [in the stretch].  It’s redemption [from finishing second in his first pace in 2004].  It was the race that got away from me.  I really believed I had the best horse that day, and I didn’t drive him [well].  I was young and made a mistake. Tonight feels twice as good. We learn from each other and tonight was the night.  It’s definitely the best night I’ve ever had.”

CHECK ME OUT TROTS WORLD RECORD 1:51.3 TO CLAIM $245,500 DEL MILLER MEMORIAL

Check Me Out left little doubt that she is the dominant three-year-old trotting filly of her generation, scoring a two and a half-length victory in a world record 1:51.3 in the 12^th race, the $245,500 Del Miller Memorial.

The mile erased the three-year-old trotting filly record of 1:51.4 set by Highscore Kemp in 2009 at DuQuoin, IL and the Miller stakes record of 1:52.3 held by Peaceful Way since 2004.

Check Me Out [$3.00, $2.10, $2.10], a daughter of Donato Hanover out of Illusion Bi, was on the lead at every call, extending her winning streak to five.  Win Missy B [$3.00, $2.60] was second best with Personal Style [3.60] five lengths back in third.

“You never know, but I had a lot of confidence in my mare,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick.  “She’s a champion, and it’s well-deserved.  She’s definitely a contender [for the Hambletonian].  Colts are always tough but she’s as good anything out there.”

“She’s a killer, and she’s a lot better off the pace,” said Ray Schnittker, the trainer and co-owner  with Charles Iannazzo of Tappan, NY.  “Probably right now, I’m leaning toward the Hambo [with the colts instead of the Oaks for fillies], but I’ve got to do some thinking.  It’s my call.”

Check Me Out now has five wins and one second in six starts this year and a career total of 19 wins and three seconds from 22 starts.  Her bankroll now exceeds $1.4 million thanks to victories in the Elegantimage at Mohawk and the Hudson Filly at Yonkers.

Hurrikane Kingcole Sizzles In $100,000 Meadowlands Pace Consolation

Hurrikane Kingcole [$3.40, $2.40, $2.10] exploded to the lead on the backstretch and drew away to an eight and three-quarter length victory in the $100,000 Meadowlands Pace Consolation, the fourth race, pacing the mile in 1:47.3, only three-fifths of a second off the track record for three-year-old pacers.

Yannick Gingras was at the lines of the John McDermott trainee who now has three wins and two thirds in eight starts this year and has finished in-the-money in 13 of 21 career starts for earnings of $372,157.

Bettor’s Edge [$4.00, $2.60] was second while Hillbilly Hanover [$4.20] finished nine and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Hurrikane Kingcole, a New Jersey-sired son of Cam’s Card Shark out of Blazing Yankee, races for Jeffrey Kuhen of Yardley, PA; John Levy Racing Stable of Hamilton, Ontario; Klee Cohen Brewer and Gordon of East Rockaway, NY and Hurrikane Racing LLC of North Bergen, NJ.

Uncle Peter & Little Brown Fox Give Takter A Sweep Of Stanley Dancer Divisions

It was a big night for Team Takter, winning both divisions of the Stanley Dancer Trot for three-year-old trotters, the final tune up for the $1.5 million Hambletonian on August 4.

Uncle Peter, the 2-5 favorite, turned in a gate-to-wire victory in the second race, the first $150,500 division while 23-1 Little Brown Fox turned in a stakes record time of 1:51.2 in the $153,000 second division, the ninth race.

Uncle Peter [$2.80, $2.20, $2.10], driven by Ron Pierce, repelled the challenge from Appomattox in the stretch and drew off to a half length victory in 1:53.1

Banker Volo [$2.60, $2.20], in the two-hole, got up for second and Appomattox [$3.60] was third by three lengths. 

“It was a piece of cake,” Pierce said of the Cantab Hall colt’s third win in five starts this year, seven of 10 lifetime.  “Tim [Tetrick with Appomattox] came at us down the backstretch a little bit.  I just gave him his head and let him trot on just enough to where I could keep that horse [Banker Volo] in behind us.  I let him coast home.  I didn’t even have to pull the ear plugs.  He was very much within himself.”

“I love this horse,” said winning trainer Jimmy Takter.  “I’m so happy to see this performance.  It was a great race for him. He wasn’t extended, and it was a perfect race for him [to prep] for the Hambletonian.  With this heat we’re just making sure to keep him hydrated and making sure he stays healthy and doesn’t get sick because they’re all things you have to consider as possibilities.”

Uncle Peter [Cantab Hall – Victory Treasure] has banked $498,967 lifetime for Christina Takter of East Windsor, NJ, John and Jim Fielding of Toronto, Ontario and Falkbolagen AB of Allentown, NJ.

Little Brown Fox [$49.60, $14.40, $7.00] cut the fractions and drew off in the stretch for a three and a half-length victory over stablemate Guccio [$13.20, $6.00] with Possess The Will [$3.00] finishing third by three and three-quarter lengths.

Little Brown Fox’s 1:51.2 clocking eclipsed the 1:52 stakes record established by Mr Pine Chip in 2006.

Yannick Gingras guided the Jimmy Takter-trained Little Brown Fox to his third win with a second and two thirds in six starts this year.  Lifetime, the bay colt has four wins, two seconds and three thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $334,472 for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim Fielding and Brittany Farms of Versailles, KY.

“I didn’t know he made a break [2-5 favorite Googoo Gaagaa, who broke stride on the first turn and finished eighth] but my strategy didn’t change,” Gingras said. 

“Around the last turn he was all on his own,” Gingras explained.  “I let him trot a little bit around the last turn, but I didn’t chase him.  Like I told Jimmy [Takter] after the race, I showed him the whip at the top of the stretch and he took up like he was behind the gate.  He was very impressive. 

“He had a couple of things that needed to be worked on at Pocono [his prior start, finishing third in the Beal] and Jimmy surely did,” Gingras added.  “I’m not really surprised with the time, we were going right along.”

The New Jersey-sired son of Muscles Yankee – Malvictorian won the $150,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on June 2.

Major Look Upsets 1-9 American Jewel In The $190,850 Mistletoe Shalee

Andy Miller tipped Major Look out of the pocket in the stretch and passed 1-9 favorite American Jewel in the final sixteenth for an upset victory in the fifth race, the $190,850 Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old pacing fillies.

Major Look [$22.80, $4.20, $3.00], a daughter of Art Major-Band of Emeralds, paced the mile in a career best 1:49.3, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of American Jewel [$2.10, $2.10] with Bettor B Lucky [$4.20] in third by a length and a quarter.

American Jewel, winner of the Fan Hanover and Lynch, had her winning streak snapped at four.

Major Look was harnessed for the Mistletoe Shalee Final by Kevin McDermott, deputized to replace his former employee and the filly’s previous trainer, Bob Riddle.

“Bob [Riddle] was going to jog her on Sunday morning and the horse ran him over out of the stall and fractured his leg and foot and shattered his kneecap,” said Kevin McDermott.  “Bob deserves all the credit with this horse.  Me and Andy discussed it, and we’re splitting our five percents with Bob Riddle.  Believe it or not he just called me.  His phone wasn’t working, and he wanted to know how she did.  Bob worked with me for a long time, and I give him horses when I don’t have room.  The owners and their friends had horses with me in the past, and Bob asked me to take this filly for him.  He gets all the credit.”

Major Look is owned by the partnership of Joseph Balkunas of Smithtown, NY; Mark Giordano of Lindenhurst, NY and Anthony Pancella of Lindenhurst, NY.  The filly now has four wins in six starts this year and seven wins in 21 career starts, banking $289,570 with the winner’s share of $95,425.

“I just know Bob Riddle did a great job getting her ready and then he got hurt the other day and handed her over to Kevin,” said winning driver Andy Miller.  “Kevin has done a great job going forward with her.  I think she was very good [American Jewel] but this mare beat her earlier in the year.”

Tim Tetrick, the driver of American Jewel, said his mare raced good. 

“She just got beat,” said Tetrick.  “She raced hard, and she’s been a contender all year.  She finished second to her [American Jewel] a couple of times in the qualifiers, and she’s beat her at Vernon in her first start.  She’s a really good mare.  She got a two-hole trip right behind me.”