by Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ
– Wings Of Royalty received a perfect drive from Tim Tetrick
and the pair spoiled the 4-year-old debut of Pinkman in the Friday night
feature at the Meadowlands, a $20,000 conditioned event for trotters.
The
race looked like an easy one for 3-5 favorite Pinkman, the winner of last
year’s Kentucky Futurity, Canadian Trotting Classic and Hambletonian. But Wings
Of Royalty, who finished last in last year’s Hambo, scored some revenge on his
high-profile foe.
Pinkman
worked his way to the top in :27.2, but was pressured by the first-over Bourbon
Bay at the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.4. Pinkman finally shrugged
his challenger off to lead by 2 turning for home, while Tetrick was finding
open road for Wings Of Royalty, who was third at the head of the stretch.
Pinkman
still looked like a safe winner with a sixteenth of a mile to go, but Wings of Royalty
found more in deep stretch and got up on the wire to win by a nose in a
lifetime-best 1:51.4. Possessed Fashion was third.
As the fourth choice in
the wagering, Wings Of Royalty paid $27.40 to win for trainer George Ducharme
and owner Raymond W J Campbell Jr. The 4-year-old son of Rc Royalty has now won
12-of-32 lifetime outings and earned just over $417,000.
STILL GROWING: The 11th
race 20 cent Jackpot Super High Five carryover keeps getting bigger and bigger.
After the official order of finish of 5-1-3-7-6 failed to produce a single
winning ticket, the carryover for the next program stood at $217,277.84. … Only
two favorites emerged victorious on the 11-race card. …The start of racing was
delayed over an hour as inclement weather made extensive track maintenance
necessary. … The Big M is back Saturday with a live program that gets underway at
7:15 p.m.
