Bargain
purchase defeats Father Patrick for the second consecutive start
EAST
RUTHERFORD (June 19, 2015) – The third leg
of the Graduate Series for trotters pitted a rematch of JL Cruze vs. Father Patrick,
this time for $100,000. Fresh off the upset two weeks ago that sent
shockwaves throughout the sport, JL Cruze was given more respect at the windows
Friday night, sent off as the 9/5 second choice. Father Patrick was given
the nod as the favorite, despite the narrow loss last-out and post 10 tonight,
released as the 1/2 choice.
JL
Cruze floated off the gate, while Father Patrick did the same, watching many
trotters vying for early position to his inside. Around the first turn,
JL Cruze sat mid-pack in fifth, with Father Patrick right behind him. The
early lead belonged to Gural Hanover, who reached the quarter in 26.4. As
the field straightened up on the backstretch, JL Cruze launched his bid for the
lead, with Father Patrick hot on his heels and the pair ranged up into
contention as JL Cruze cleared the lead going to the half-mile in a sharp
54.1. Father Patrick was left uncovered briefly, but he asserted himself
rather quickly and made the lead as the field moved into the far turn.
His pilot, Yannick Gingras, let Patrick roll to three quarters in 1:22.3, while
Sumata was challenging first over. JL Cruze was locked in the pocket for
much of the stretch as Father Patrick reached for the line. But inside
the final eighth of a mile, the pylons opened up for JL Cruze and John Campbell
guided his trotter through the narrow opening where he sprinted to the wire to
defeat Father Patrick in a lifetime best 1:50.4. That clocking also
equaled the fastest trotting mile of the season thus far. Resolve rallied
to be third from well back.
JL
Cruze is owned by W Kenneth Wood, W J Dittmar Jr and S J Iaquinta and trained
by Eric Ell.
JL
Cruze cost just $32,000 at the Harrisburg Mixed Sale in November and has now
earned $233,638 this season. Driver John Campbell spoke to how the horse
has developed. “Back in February, we knew he was good, but I don’t think
anyone could have predicted this. But he kept getting stronger as time
went on and I knew he could trot with these, but I wasn’t sure he could
win. But he just keeps getting better.”
Amazingly,
trainer Eric Ell reported that JL Cruze kicked his stall the morning of the
second round of the Graduate and he considered scratching the horse. Not
only did he race, but he defeated Father Patrick, a feat he accomplished again
tonight.
The
$250,000 Graduate Trot Final will be contested on Meadowlands Pace elimination
night, Saturday, July 11th.
The
third leg for the Graduate pacers was also contested Friday night at The
Meadowlands for $100,000. An overloaded field of twelve would go to the
post and because of the two trailers, the race was contested at 1 1/8th
miles.
Rockeyed
Optimist, a winner of nine of 10 starts this season was sent off as the odds-on
favorite, while Doo Wop Hanover, a winner of the first rounds of the Graduate
series was let go at 7/2. Both four year olds are trained by Steve
Elliot. The early speed came from the inside as Limelight Beach and
Lyonssomewhere blasted to the front, but Rockeyed Optimist was aggressive from
his outside post and he would grind into it early on and made the lead past the
quarter of 27.1. In the meantime, Doo Wop Hanover never saw the pylons
and was allowed to settle into his stride uncovered while racing nearly 10
lengths off the lead as Rockeyed Optimist sprinted past the half-mile in
53.4. At that point, Doo Wop Hanover began to a launch a steady bid for
the lead while leading the outer flow, tracked by All Bets Off. Rockeyed
Optimist completed three-quarters in 1:22.1 as Doo Wop Hanover continued to
close in. As the field straightened away in the stretch, the two Elliot
trainees were side by side and they put on a show, pacing through the stretch
together, leaving the field behind. Doo Wop Hanover, despite being
uncovered throughout the nine furlongs, was able to wear down his stable mate
and score a win in a world record clocking for one mile and one eighth, winning
in 2:02.3, eclipsing the previous mark of 2:03.1, established by Noble Ability
in 1999. All Bets Off checked in third.
Doo
Wop Hanover was sent out by owners Peter Blood and Rick Berks.
John
Campbell swept The Graduate events Friday night and was extremely impressed
with the performance of Doo Wop Hanover. “He went a huge trip, but he
wasn’t working that hard and that was the key. But we were out the whole
way and he just kept coming.” Both Elliot trainees are being pointed to
the $250,000 Graduate Final on Friday, July 3rd.
In
other action, Hot List made it back to back victories, both in the form of
pylon skimming drives as she won the $28,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace over
Iniitowinafortune in a sharp 1:49.4. The win was another on the card for
John Campbell who scored a hat trick on the program. The mare is trained
by Arnold Marks.
The
$26,000 Open Trot was won in wire to wire fashion by DW’s NY Yank, who led at
every pole to score in 1:52.1. Obrigado was locked in the pocket
throughout the mile and appeared to have a ton of trot while finishing
second. Trainer Ron Burke sent out the winner.
The
$22,800 Cathedra Dot Com Final went to Next Flight Up in a 24-1 upset and she
rallied down the center of the racetrack and chased down Oceans Motion, Real
Drama and That Woman Hanover to score in 1:50.4 for Brett Miller and trainer
Jeff Smith.
Both
carryovers in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 lived to fight another day, with the fifth
race carryover growing to $162,597 and the last race carryover swelling to
$141,004.
Total
handle for the Friday program yielded a 10-percent increase over the same night
in 2014, despite one less race.
Racing
resumes on Saturday with a 13-race program beginning at 7:15 P.M.
