by James Witherite, Meadowlands Media Relations
East Rutherford, N.J. -- After stinging Opulent Yankee and
Uva Hanover through a :26.4 initial quarter, Can Do ($31.20) emerged from
traffic in the final eighth of Friday (January 15) night's $25,000 Open 1
Handicap Trot, vaulting around a weakening pace for a 14-1 upset on an evening
where favorites tasted defeat in the first nine events.
Anthony Napolitano wasted no time with the 7-year-old Cantab
Hall gelding, gunning him to the fore in company with Opulent Yankee (Andy
Miller) and 3-5 favorite Uva Hanover (Tim Tetrick). After ceding the lead
to Opulent Yankee at the end of a :26.4 first quarter, Can Do was relegated to
third as Uva Hanover pushed clear with five-eighths of the mile
remaining. Uva Hanover maintained a fast tempo through a :54.4 half, but
struggled to sustain after facing first-over pressure from Cash Me Out (Brett
Miller) through the far turn. As the outer flow developed, Can Do was
shuffled to fifth, but able to angle off the pegs just at the eighth pole as
Uva Hanover was finally engulfed. Napolitano angled Can Do to the
four-path, and the pair surged to the winning post, prevailing by half a length
over Cash Me Out in 1:53.1. Opulent Yankee saved third from his pocket
trip, staying on once wedging between foes in deep stretch. Uva Hanover
ultimately faded to fifth after facing a barrage of pressure throughout.
Owner Jody Riedel trains Can Do, now a 30-time winner.
In the sub-featured $20,000 Open 2 Trot, Detroit Rapper
($7.40) loosely chased live cover on approach to the far turn, catching up to
the first-over B Yoyo (Joe Bongiorno) a quarter-mile from home before kicking
cover in mid-stretch for a narrow 1:54.1 triumph over pocket rival Allerage
Star (Andy Miller). The 5-year-old Jailhouse Jesse gelding also had the
benefit of a pressured pace in front of him, as B Yoyo provided stern pressure
to 2-1 favored pacesetter Hyway Marcus through a quickening :28.1 third sectional
before the two were ultimately engulfed.
Jim Marohn, Jr. drove Detroit Rapper to his 20th career win
for the Harmon Racing Stable, LLC and trainer Patti Harmon.
Heading to Saturday (January 16) evening's 14-race card, the
seventh-race Jackpot High 5 will have a carryover of $4,720, while $60,069 will
carry over into the closing-race variety of the 20-cent wager.
Total handle for the evening was $3,053,776, an increase of
$474,166 over the corresponding Friday night in 2015. The trio of guaranteed-pool
horizontal wagers attracted a combined $161,353, well surpassing the guaranteed
numbers.
Saturday's first race is due off at 6:35 p.m. Eastern
time. For more information on racing, dining, and entertainment at The
Meadowlands, visit playmeadowlands.com.
