Scores as the favorite in final preliminary leg.
EAST RUTHERFORD - Saturday
night at The Meadowlands featured the final $50,000 preliminary legs for the
TVG Free For All Pacing and Trotting Championships, to be contested for
$400,000 on next Saturday night.
Resolve, fresh off his runner-up performance in the
Breeders Crown, was established as the 6/5 betting choice in the TVG Free For
All Trot and he did not disappoint. Resolve was sent straight to the lead
and was able to establish a methodical pace, reaching the quarter in 28.3
before coasting to the half-mile in 58.2. E L Titan mounted a challenge
as the field moved past the half-mile pole, but Resolve had plenty in reserve
and sprinted through the final three eighths of a mile to win in 1:53.3 for
trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt. E L Titan trotted well despite the first
over trip and was able to land the runner-up spot with Melady’s Monet
third. For Resolve, the win marked the third of the season for the four
year old by Muscle Hill. He is owned by Hans Enggren.
A compact field of four contested the $50,000 TVG Free For
All Pace after a pair of scratches. JK Endofanera was released as the 2/5
favorite and the William Haughton Memorial winner, Mach It So was sent off the
2-1 second choice. Neither of them made the lead as the Canadian, Arthur
Blue Chip would establish the pace from his inside starting sold, reaching the
quarter in 27.2, before stealing a soft second quarter of 29.1. The
cadence quickened into the far turn, but Arthur Blue Chip remained relatively
unchallenged. Mach It So was riding the pocket as long as he could
through three-quarters of 1:24.2 before ripping out of the pocket and launching
a 25.3 final quarter to score in 1:50.1.
Arthur Blue Chip held on for the
runner-up spot while JK Endofanera hit his best stride late, but drifted in the
stretch as a wide third. Mach It So is trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr for
Bamond Racing L.L.C. Tim Tetrick was the winning driver. It was the
sixth win of the season for Mach It So and he is closing in on $1.2 Million in
lifetime earnings.
Fall Final Four
The eliminations for the Fall Final Four continued on
Saturday as well. First on the card was a $20,000 elimination for the
$413,000 Governor’s Cup with a field of eight. Boston Red Rocks, the
Breeders Crown winner, was sent off as the 4/5 favorite, but he was left with a
lot of ground to make up into the stretch. Big Top Hanover did not face
the same obstacle as he sat the pocket behind the lone speed of Spider Man
Hanover through swift fractions of 28, 55 and 1:22.4, before pulling the pocket
and sprinting to the lead late. Boston Red Rocks made up as much ground
as he could, but could not catch the winner and had to settle for the runner-up
spot. Spider Man Hanover saved the show spot after setting strong
fractions. Pretty Boy Hill and Show The Fashion completed the five that
advanced to the Final.
The other Governor’s Cup elimination was a wide open race
on paper with a competitive and well-balanced field of eight. Katies
Rocker grabbed the racetrack right off the gate and never looked back.
Sent to the lead as the 4-1 second choice from post eight, Katies Rocker reeled
off fractions of 27.2, 56.3 and 1:24.2 before turning home with the lead where
he faced a still challenge up the pylons from Jk Will Power. The pair hit
the wire together, but it was Katies Rocker who held on by the slimmest of
margins, a nose. Ideal Rocky was third, followed by Autotune Hanover and
Check Six who all qualified for the final.
The first $20,000 Valley Victory elimination went to
Waitlifter K in a wire to wire upset for Tim Tetrick who said in a post race
interview that “he has always had talent, sometimes he is good and sometimes he
makes you scratch your head and tonight he was really good.” Waitlifter K
completed the mile in 1:54.1, a new lifetime mark for the Muscles Yankee
colt. The winner is a homebred of Bob Key and is trained by Chuck
Sylvester. Milligan’s School, Marion Marauder, Mavens Way and Mikkeli Hanover
also advanced to the $489,400 Valley Victory Final.
Chuck Sylvester wasn’t done, as his Matron winner, Dog Gone
Lucky scored in the second elimination in 1:55.2. with Corey Callahan.
Dog Gone Lucky trotted up after Lagerfeld as the field turned for home and set
sail for the wire while opening up willingly. The trotter that really
caught the eye in the stretch was Make Or Miss who was far back at the top of
the stretch and simply exploded through the lane to the tune of 27.1 final
quarter to finish a fast closing second. The final quarter was a full
second faster than the next fastest last quarter, which belonged to the winner,
Dog Gone Lucky. Lagerfeld, Taco Tuesday and Treasure Keys K completed the
five headed to the Final. The winner is owned by Amy Lynn Stoltzfus and
Charles Stansley.
Live racing returns on Friday, November 20th.
Featured on the program are the $200,000 TVG Mare Pacing and Trotting
Championships as well as the Three Diamonds and Goldsmith Maid Finals.
Post time is 7:00 P.M.
