Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment presented nine preview
qualifying races at 6:00pm on Monday evening looking
toward Saturday’s Grand Opening and the last few races showcased several
of harness racing’s top performers.
A few of the season’s fastest freshman pacing colts used tonight
as a tightner for next Saturday’s $534,500 Governor’s Cup stake. A pair of Ron
Burke trainees hit the wire together with Somestarsomewhere hanging on by a
short nose over JK Endofanera in 1:51.4 with a wicked 26- final quarter after
setting all the pace for Yannick Gingras. Burke Racing owns this son of
Somebeachsomewhere, who set the freshman track record of 1:49.2 at The Red Mile
this fall and won his Breeders Crown elim in a world record 1:49.4 at Pocono,
with Weaver Bruscemi, Yanek & Carr.
The seventh race, three year old pacing fillies prepping for the
Nadia Lobell, pitted this year’s top sophomore I Luv The Nitelife against
last’s season division leader Somewherovrarainbow, who was making her first
start out of the Joe Holloway barn. They went around the oval in that order
through 27.2 / 55.4 / 1:23.3 fractions and flew home in 26.3 with “Nitelife” a
length and a half winner. Tim Tetrick was behind the filly, as he has been in
all of her starts and she looks as sharp as she has at any point this season.
Chris Ryder conditions the Rocknroll Hanover filly for Richard and Joanne
Young.
The most exciting news of the fall season is that top three year
old pacing colt Captaintreacherous is slated to face older horses in the
$500,000 TVG FFA Final on November 30, a feat that hasn’t been attempted in
decades. The “Captain” used tonight’s qualifier to hone to a razor’s edge with
a 1:49.3 waltz around the racetrack. Tetrick guided him through even fractions
with a 27- kicker on the end.
Captaintreacherous has also held his form remarkably over the long
and taxing summer and was turned out beautifully for tonight’s race by trainer
Tony Alagna and his team. All that remains is for the connections, ownership
group Captaintreacherous Racing headed by Myron Bell, and Tony to deem him fit
for the race and we’ll get to see the match-up that we’d like.
The last race saw Pet Rock getting some work in toward that same
TVG Final goal, where he will certainly be a main contender. Dave Miller put
him right on the lead through soft numbers then sprinted home in 26.1 to win in
1:50.4. Trainer Virgil Morgan has Frank Bellino’s Rocknroll Hanover stud dead
sharp for the last start of his career next Saturday before he heads off to
Midland Farms in Ohio to embark on his new career.
Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment General Manager and CEO
Jason Settlemoir observed, “Having the two preview nights to allow the servers
and food prep the opportunity to get familiar with their jobs in the new space
has been invaluable. Thanks to the horsemen for supporting it with their
participation and to all of our employees for their hard work and dedication as
we prepare for Saturday’s Grand Opening.”
