Top Aged Trotter at The
Meadowlands Does It Again
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – (March
13, 2015) With Swedish interests looking on from The Meadowlands grandstand,
Melady’s Monet put forth a flawless audition, winning the $30,000 Open Handicap
trot for the second week in a row and for the fifth time in his last eight
starts.
The 7/5 favorite from post 9,
Melady’s Monet was gathered back off the gate early in the mile and established
a stalking position halfway through the field.
The early lead belonged to longshot B YoYo, who reached the first
quarter in 26.4, but Andy Miller and Lindy’s Tru Grit was not content with his
position and that trotter quickly assumed command down the back stretch. Not to be out-done, Brett Miller guided Odds
On Amethyst off the pylons and they picked up the pursuit of Lindy’s Tru Grit
through a 56.3 half-mile. At that point,
John Campbell elected to follow Brett Miller’s move and Melady’s Monet found
himself well-positioned second over. But into the far turn, Odds On Amethyst
cleared to the front, leaving Melady’s Monet first over as the field rolled through
three-quarters in 1:25. Both trotters
coming off wins at the Open level would proceed to hook-up for a stretch
battle. Inside the final eighth of a
mile, Melady’s Monet was able to wear down Odds On Amethyst to reach the wire
in 1:52.3. The win was the fourth on the season for the six year old gelding.
Melady’s Monet is trained by
Kevin McDermott for Melady Enterprises L.L.C.
The co-featured event was the
$30,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace.
That race featured millionaire and world champion, Somwherovrarainbow,
who was the 3/5 favorite. But it was not
her night tonight as Radar Contact, in what may have been the best performance
of her career, not only won, but dominated the field to win by four lengths,
posting an 11-1 upset.
Somwherovrarainbow was a bit wide
in the first turn while following Camille who would grab the lead early in the
mile. Those two hit the opening quarter,
while racing on even terms in 26.4. The
favorite cleared the lead shortly thereafter and took the field down the
backstretch with Camille drafting in the pocket through a 55.2 half-mile. At this point, John Campbell guided his mare,
Radar Contact to the outside and she committed to a first over grind around the
far turn. With that mare at her throat,
Somwherovrarainbow reached three-quarters in 1:23.3, but as the field turned
for home, it was clear that Radar Contact was going the better of the two. As the mares straightened up in the stretch,
Radar Contact found gears four, five and six and she pulled away from the
millionaire, leaving her and six other mares in her wake as she rolled to an
authoritative win in 1:50.2, pacing a 26.4 final quarter after racing first
over. Charisma Hanover rallied for the runner-up spot.
Radar Contact is trained by Noel
Daley and was driven to victory by John Campbell.
The first leg of the Shiaway St
Pat trotting series was contested Friday night at The Meadowlands. With 13 horses entered, the first round was
split into a pair of $20,000 divisions. The Super Bowl and Charles Singer
winner JL Cruze was the name that headlined the list of entries. He was sent off as the 1/5 favorite in the
second division and he picked up right where he left off.
Settling into third position
early in the mile through fractions of 28.2 and 57.4, JL Cruze committed first
over as the field moved into the far turn and with a measured move, seized
command as the field reached three-quarters in 1:27. In the stretch, JL Cruze turned it on,
opening up at will and powering home in 27-seconds to win by many in 1:54. It was the sixth win from eight starts this
season for the Eric Ell trainee.
The win by JL Cruze gave John
Campbell his third win of the program for Kenneth Wood, W J Dittmar Jr. and S J
Iaquinta.
When he doesn’t face JL Cruze
(and sometimes even when he does), he wins.
That has been the case all winter for Opulent Yankee and that trend
continued in the first round of the Shiaway St. Pat on Friday night at The
Meadowlands.
Sent off as the 2/5 betting
choice in the first $20,000 Shiaway St Pat division, Opulent Yankee was kept
off the gate slightly and allowed to settle into third position early in the
mile with Andy Miller. The front end
belonged to the Dover invader Razor Ramone, who was keyed up through a quarter
of 27.2. Positions remained unchanged
down the backstretch until Miller guided his trotter off the pylons past the
half-mile in 57.3 where Opulent Yankee began his pursuit of Razor Ramone. Midway through the far turn it was clear that
Opulent Yankee had more in the tank and the gelding cleared the lead going past
three-quarters in 1:26.3. In the
stretch, Opulent Yankee powered away with the end result never in doubt,
gliding to an easy 1:55 score. Sheer
Flex rallied for the runner-up spot, with Razor Ramone fading to third.
Opulent Yankee is trained by
Julie Miller for Little E L.L.C., Art Geiger, Jason Settlemoir and David Stolz.
Rising star Jimmy Marohn Jr. had
another impressive night at The Meadowlands, winning three races from six
drives on the Friday program.
The fifth race Jackpot Super Hi-5
carried over again. That carryover will
be $50,461 into the Saturday program.
The last race jackpot also went unclaimed and that carryover is now
$167,731.
The 13-race Saturday program
features the $58,000 Buddy Gilmour Final, led by Wiggle It Jiggleit. Post time is set for 7:15 P.M.
