by Darin Zoccali
One of the better trotting mares in
harness racing the past three years, Handover Belle ,found the winner’s circle
for the fifth time this season in the $25,000 featured Open Trot on Friday
night at The Meadowlands.
One week after missing by just a neck
at the same level and two starts removed from a third place finish in the
$200,000 TVG Mares Trotting Championship, Handover Belle defeated the boys to
score a 1:53.4 triumph in the featured trot.
Sent to the post as the 3/5 favorite,
Handover Belle sat third early, before brushing towards the three-eighths pole
where the mare took over command from last week’s winner Crosbys Clam Bake.
Handover Belle coasted through a 59-second middle half before facing a
challenge from longshot Tirade Hanover as the field left the three-quarter
pole. In the stretch, the challenges
came from all sides, with Opulent Yankee lunging to the wire off cover, but
Handover Belle was able to dig-down and hold on by a head over that rival. Cash
Me Out was a half-length behind in third.
The first five finishers were covered by just one and a half-lengths.
Handover Belle was driven by her
long-time partner in the sulky, Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke. The iron-tough mare is owned by Burke Racing
Stable, H. and J. Taylor and Weaver Bruscemi.
The win was the 17th in the
mare’s career and her earnings are now just shy of $565,000 lifetime.
It was Miller Time early and often on
Friday night at The Meadowlands. “The
Buckeye” who has not slowed down since winning five Breeders Crown
Championships in Canada, won four races on the card, including three of the
first seven. He also scored in the 12th
race for pacing mares with Icommandmyspirit.
One of his four Friday night wins was a 38-1 upset in the $20,000 Dash
For The “G NOTES” Trotting Final.
In that race, Ulster was sent off as
the 2-1 favorite and led at the first three point of calls through strong
fractions of 27.1, 55.2 and 1:25, but he could not sustain that speed in the
stretch. In the meantime, Massacaia was
handled smartly off the gate and found a comfortable spot on the pylons
stalking the speed. When the leader kicked
away on the far turn, Miller was able to guide his horse to the outside and he
quickly reeled in the favorite and opened up impressively to win going away for
a lifetime best victory of 1:54.1.
Longshot Soapy Sap, making her 97th
career start at The Meadowlands, rallied up the pylons to finish second, while
Fox Valley Legend overcame a tough trip where he was stacked up last with dull
cover to finish third.
The winner was conditioned by Jason
Robinson for owner Robert Main.
Cash Poor reached the $100,000 plateau
for the 2015 racing season with a win in the $20,000 Open II Trot on Friday
night at The Meadowlands.
Sent to the post as the 1/2
prohibitive betting choice, Cash Poor was allowed to relax mid-pack in the
early going before launching a backstretch brush to the lead. The seven year old gelding reached the
half-mile in a sharp 55.2, but quickly faced a challenge from the oncoming
Hyway Marcus, who was racing on Lasix for the first time for conditioner Ron
Burke. The pair reached three-quarters
in 1:24.2 while racing on even terms.
But in the stretch, Cash Poor found another gear and accelerated away
for Dave Miller to win convincingly in 1:53.1, a new lifetime mark. Hyway Marcus raced well to be second, while
longshot KLM Express rounded out the trifecta.
The win was the 10th on the
season for Cash Poor, for trainer Harold Reddick Jr., who conditions the
trotter for Traylor Racing L.L.C..
Handle for the 13-race program was
$2,720,893, an increase of $411,165 or 18-percent compared to the same Friday
in 2014.
Racing returns on Saturday with a
first race post time of 7:00 P.M.
