Ettore Annunziata's 4-year-old Somebeachsomewhere entire
ships in from Yonkers after a quartet of solid efforts, earning back-to-back
wins against other 4-year-olds before he was engulfed late in an open event
last week, only mustering a fourth-place finish after setting a torrid pace.
Melmerby Beach has been installed the 5-2 morning line favourite, and John
Campbell drives the 15-time winner from post 7.
Melmerby Beach will square off against William Donovan's
Ashley's Husband (3-1, post 1), who reeled off back-to-back wins from off the
pace since arriving at the Meadowlands with a sharp qualifier. Two weeks
ago, he kicked cover to defeat top-level conditioned company by way of a :26.1
closing sectional. Trainer Kyle Spagnola, sporting a .517 rating so far
this meet, once again nominates Joe Bongiorno to handle the driving
duties. Other top contenders include Ron Burke trainee Ontario Success
(7-2, post 5, Yannick Gingras) and Jimmy Takter trainee Sunfire Blue Chip (9-2,
post 3, Brett Miller), both of which rise from narrow local wins, along with UF
Rockin Dragon (10-1, post 6, Corey Callahan) who most recently defeated
upper-level foes at Yonkers before shipping over the Hudson River for trainer
Mark Ford.
A pair of sub-featured upper-level conditioned events take
place earlier in the card, with each $16,500 dash open to pacers which have not
won $15,000 in their last five starts or seven races.
In the first sub-featured event, carded as race six,
Benjaminbanneker N looks to rebound from recent traffic trouble, not lacking
for pace in his last two outings after charing home from far back to prevail in
1:51.1 on November 21. Corey Callahan drives the 3-1 morning line choice
for trainer Bob Bresnahan from post 8. A pair of strong shippers from
Harrah's Philadelphia line up in the closing leg of the early Pick 4 as well,
with Jeneral Patton (7-2, post 3, Brett Miller) coming in off back-to-back
runner-up efforts, and What I Believe (4-1, post 10, Mike Simons) dropping down
from top-level events in his fourth start off the claim for owner Albert
Abdala, III and trainer Shawn Simons.
The sub-featured ninth race sees 5-2 morning line choice
Shooter's Dream return at this level after mounting first-over bids in his last
three races and subsequently sustaining them to hit the board on all three occasions.
David Miller opted to drive the 5-year-old Sand Shooter gelding for trainer
David M. Smith. "The Buckeye" was also nominated on Sicily, a
winner in two of his last three races at Philadelphia. Andy Miller takes
the lines on the Wayne Givens trainee installed as the 7-2 second choice.
Also of note, Mah Sish N invades from Yonkers off a narrow win against just
easier company. Ireland native Jonathan Dunne takes the lines of the
9-year-old Mach Three gelding for trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman.
All save two of Saturday's 14 races feature at least ten
horses, while six boast overflow fields of eleven. Paired with $105,000
in guaranteed pools through the evening's Pick 5 and twin Pick 4 wagers,
punters have ample opportunity to maximize value. As of Friday morning,
the fifth-race Jackpot High-5 carries $7,181.28 in added money, while the final
race Jackpot High-5 boasts a $34,296.44 carryover.
The first race on Saturday's card is due off at 7:00 p.m.
EST. For more information on racing, dining, and entertainment at The
Meadowlands, visit playmeadowlands.com.
