by
Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST
RUTHERFORD, NJ – Medusa
continued to wreak havoc in the fillies and mares open handicap division at the
Meadowlands Friday night, taking the featured $25,000 pace by 2½ lengths in
dominant wire-to-wire fashion.
The
5-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight has now won three straight Big M female
features and five in a row overall for owners Randall Bendis and Thomas
Pollack.
Yannick
Gingras had the drive behind the Andrew Federico Jr. trainee and left the gate
quickly. Longshot Inittowinafortune extended her slightly around the first turn
before Medusa made the top at the quarter in :27.
A
rated second fraction saw the 6-5 public choice hit the half in :55 as none of
her six opponents came after the eventual winner. Medusa was clear of the field
by 2¼ lengths at three-quarters in 1:22.2 before cruising under the wire –
while lowering her lifetime-best for a third straight start – and stopping the
clock in 1:49. The fast-closing Katie Said, sent off as the 2-1 second choice,
finished second, while Inittowinafortune held on for third.
Medusa
returned $4.40 to win and has now won 11 of 20 starts this season.
NOTABLE:
Every
Way Out rolled by 4½ lengths in 1:55 in the final leg of the New Jersey Sire
Stakes for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers as the 1-9 favorite and figures
to once again be an extremely short price in next Friday’s final. … Marion
Marauder ($15.20), last when they turned for home, rallied through the stretch
and found a seam late to take the 3-year-old open colt and gelding trot in
1:52.2, gunning down 2-5 favorite Dog Gone Lucky nearing the wire. … The 5th
race 20 cent Jackpot Super High Five failed to have a single-ticket winner,
upping the carryover for the next racing program to $31,911.51. … All-source wagering
totaled $2,554,374, an increase of $347,436 over the corresponding card from a
year ago. … Racing resumes at the Big M Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
