JL
Cruze is the fastest trotter in Meadowlands history. After winning the
$250,000 Graduate Final in 1:49.4, JL Cruze captured that title as well as
becoming a World Champion as the final time was the fastest trotting mile in
one-mile track history.
Sent
off as the 3/5 favorite, JL Cruze floated off the gate and sat on the outside
while the leaders sorted themselves out. In the meantime, Father Patrick
was right behind JL Cruze early in the mile. Gural Hanover cleared the
lead from Opulent Yankee through the first quarter in 26.3 and that is when JL
Cruze and John Campbell made their move to the lead. From there, JL Cruze
dictated the terms. Meanwhile, Father Patrick found himself parked, about six
lengths off the lead of JL Cruze, who reached the half mile in 54.2. At
that point, Father Patrick launched his bid and moved smartly first over into
the strong pace as JL Cruze zipped past three quarters in 1:22.4. But
from there, Father Patrick was all-done and JL Cruze set sail for home and
opened up a three length lead. Shake It Cerry, who caught up to the cover
of Father Patrick as the field reached the head of the stretch, kicked home
powerfully and she began to reel in the favorite as the wire approached.
But the wire came in time, and when JL Cruze hit the finish, the teletimer read
1:49.4. Shake It Cerry put forth the race of her life, finishing a head
back in second, with Resolve rallying well to be third.
JL
Cruze, who was a $35,000 Harrisburg mixed sale purchase, has now earned over
$396,000 this season and is without question, the best trotter in North
America. His trainer Eric Ell spoke about his future plans.
“He’ll
be here next week,” said Ell, confirming that JL Cruze will be supplemented to
The Hambletonian Maturity on Meadowlands Pace. Speaking to the final
time, Ell was at a loss for words. “I could never have expected this,
it’s unbelievable, just unbelievable. He has had two major injuries this
year, but he just keeps on coming. What a horse.”
JL
Cruze is owned by W Kenneth Wood, W J Dittmar Jr and S J Iaquinta and was
driven by John Campbell.
The
Meadowlands Pace Eliminations were on tap Saturday night as well.
In
The Arsenal put forth one of the best performances of his career in the first
$50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elimination. Sent off as the second choice in
the wagering at 5/2, In The Arsenal and Brian Sears were intent on the
lead. Artspeak and Scott Zeron tried to make the early lead, but Sears
stepped on the gas pedal and seated Artspeak in the pocket on the first
turn. In The Arsenal reached the opening quarter in 27.2 and then was
able to steal a soft second quarter, reaching the half-mile in just 56.1.
As trainer Kelvin Harrison pointed out in his post-race interview, “at that
point the race was over.” From there, In The Arsenal picked up the tempo
and Artspeak appeared to struggle to keep up as In The Arsenal kicked away past
three-quarters in 1:23.3. Sears did not let up, as In The Arsenal sprinted
a final quarter in 25.3, completing a 53-second back half-mile to win his Pace
Elimination easily in 1:49.1.
Dealt
A Winner, who was dismissed at 26-1, sat third throughout the mile, angled in
the stretch and paced home impressively to grab the second spot with the Dude’s
The Man third. Artspeak, who squandered a pocket trip behind the winner
did qualify for the Final finishing fourth and Revenge Shark grabbed the last
spot from this elimination to make the Final, finishing fifth.
In
The Arsenal won for the 11th time in 19 starts and now has earnings
over $750,000. The 1:49.1 clocking was a lifetime mark. He is owned
by White Birch Farm and In The Arsenal Racing and trained by Kelvin Harrison.
For
Harrison, this will be his first starter in The Meadowlands Pace in 23 years
and he is excited to be back. “It takes power to get one to this race and
we have a good one. This is what we’re in the game for.”
Brian
Sears was oozing confidence after his win. “He has been good the whole
time,” said Sears. “He’s just a sweetheart of a horse and hopefully we
can get it done next week.”
Sears
last won The Meadowlands Pace ten years ago with the legendary Rocknroll
Hanover.
The
Meadowlands Pace Field was drawn and is as follows:
1) Lyons Levi Lewis
30-1
2) Dude’s The
Man
30-1
3) Artspeak
6-1
4) Wiggle It
Jiggleit
4/5
5) Rock N’ Roll
World
50-1
6) In The
Arsenal
3-1
7) Revenge
Shark
30-1
8) Dealt A
Winner
20-1
9) Wakizashi
Hanover
4-1
10) Badiou
Hanover
50-1
There
was a single Mistletoe Shalee elimination for $25,000, with three fillies
receiving byes into the final. Those fillies are Bettor Be Steppin, Sassa
Hanover and The Show Returns. The winner of the elimination was Band Of
Angels, who scored in 1:50, a lifetime
best effort. Her driver Yannick
Gingras put her in play early and she dictated the fractions through 27.2, 55.4
and 1:23.2 before turning for home in front. Divine Caroline was right on
her tail first over with Moonlit Dance looking to rally off cover and she came
flying late, but Band Of Angels was able to just hold on. Moonlit Dance
was second and Divine Caroline third. Also making the final were Stacia
Hanover, Single Me, Deli Beach and Happiness.
Band
Of Angels is trained by Ron Burke for W J Donovan.
The
$62,406 W.N Reynolds Memorial for three year old trotters was dramatically
altered with the scratch of morning line favorite Muscle Diamond. Cruzado
Dela Noche was established as the 4/5 choice, but he made a break before the
start. The 5/2 second choice, Real DJ Hanover jumped off-stride on the
first turn. That left the race to Suit And Tie who won in wire to wire
fashion in 1:54.1. Callahan put his colt right on the lead and he wheeled
off fractions of 27.4, 57.2 and 1:26.1 before turning for home with a longshot,
Colbert, on his back. But Suit And Tie had plenty left in the tank and he
rolled home to score rather easily over Colbert. Total Darkness checked in
third.
Suit
And Tie made it back to back Meadowlands wins and has now won four times in
2015 from eight starts. The winner is eligible to The Hambletonian.
He is trained by John Butenschoen for William Wiswell and M&L of Delaware.
Model
Behavior dominated her $29,403 division of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial for filly
trotters, winning in wire to wire fashion in 1:53.2. The three year old
daughter of Muscles Yankee was the 3/5 betting choice in the Grand Circuit
event and did not disappoint. Tim Tetrick put his filly on the lead from
the start and she never looked back, coasting through fractions of 28.3, 57.1
and 1:25.4 before sprinting through the stretch in 27.3 to win with ease.
Longshot Meadowbranch Wendy rallied well while outsprinting Scented Roses to
grab the place spot.
The
winner, who gave Mission Brief all she could handle in the New Jersey Sire
Stakes Final, is trained by Robert Baggitt Jr. for the Fair Winds Farm.
The 1:53.2 clocking was a lifetime mark in Model Behavior’s sixth win from 16
career starts. Her earnings continue to close in on the six-figure mark
as they now stand at over $84,000.
The
other W.N. Reynolds division for the filly trotters carried a purse of $29,803
and it was won by Magic Marker who was released at 4-1. The story of the
race until the final jump was Rules Of The Road, who was gunned to the lead and
flew through fractions of 27.1, 55.3 and 1:23.2. Pocket-sitter Blue Muse
was having trouble keeping up while first over I’m So Fancy stalled the live
outer flow. This allowed Corey Callahan to get separation on the field
and Rules Of The Road opened up a five length lead in the stretch. But
she began to get very leg-weary as the finish line neared and that enabled
Magic Marker, who was far back early in the mile to gun down the pacesetter in
the final strides to steal the victory in a very sharp 1:52.2. The time
was a lifetime best performance. Lock Down Lindy could rally enough off
cover and had to settle for third as the 6/5 favorite.
Magic
Marker is a three year old Andover Hall filly for Nifty Norman. She was
driven by Dave Miller who had his choice of three fillies in the race.
The winner is owned by Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman and Dave Mc Duffeee along
with Little E L.L.C. Magic Marker is eligible to The Hambletonian Oaks
and the Delvin Miller Memorial.
Table
Talk will march into The Golden Girls on Meadowlands Pace night off an
impressive first over, winning performance in the $26,000 Filly and Mare Open
Pace. Allowed to settle just off the pace, Table Talk and Tim Tetrick bided
their time, as Hot List rolled to a scorching opening quarter of 25.3.
Radar Contact, the prohibitive betting choice at odds of 1/2 then made a
quarter-move to the lead and she would dictate the tempo through a half-mile in
54.1 before facing the challenge of Table Talk. Those two mares raced on
even terms past three-quarters in 1:22.4. When the field straightened
away in the stretch, Table Talk asserted herself, leveling off and pacing home
in 26.4 to win in a lifetime best-equaling 1:49.3. Beach Story rallied to
grab the second spot from Radar Contact.
Table
Talk is a four year old Bettor’s Delight mare and is owned by The Wiz Kids
Stable LLC. The winning trainer is W. Bart Dalious. Table talked
returned $8.60 to win.
There
were no winning tickets in the jackpot Super Hi-5 in the last race, so the
carryover pool going into Friday’s program now stands at $197,368.
Total
handle for Meadowlands Pace elimination night was $3,053,416 compared to
$2,881,516 on Meadowlands Pace elimination night last year. This year did
have an additional race, but also an early start time of 5:30 P.M.
Racing
returns with the New Jersey Sire Stakes Finals for two year olds on Friday,
July 17th, with post time set for 7:15 P.M.
