by James Witherite,
Meadowlands racing media
East Rutherford, N.J. –
A full field of ten pacers—three of them millionaires—will contest the $35,000
Auld Lang Syne Invitational on New Year’s Eve (Sat., Dec. 31) at The
Meadowlands.
Trainer Ron Burke’s pair
of Limelight Beach and Clear Vision have been installed as the 5-2 favored
entry on the morning line. Limelight Beach, the 2014 Little Brown Jug winner,
earned top-level wins at both Saratoga and Dover in recent weeks while most
recently just missing Mach It So in an Open at Yonkers. Drew Monti, who just
scored his first Meadowlands driving win on Thursday night, assumes the driving
assignment on the 5-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding. His entrymate Clear
Vision boasts over $2.5 million in career earnings, and he returns to East
Rutherford after capturing the first race of the fall-winter meet in gritty
first-over fashion. The 10-year-old Western Hanover gelding seeks his fourth
win of the year, and Joe Bongiorno will be at the lines.
Among those looking to
topple the Burke duo are the rapidly-rising City Hall (Brett Miller, 6-1), who
reeled off four straight Big M wins while climbing the class ladder;
millionaire Doctor Butch (Jim Marohn, Jr., 8-1), who rises markedly off a
1:50.1 score; Lucan Hanover (Vinny Ginsburg, 7-2), a winner of two Levy
preliminaries in March and 27 races in his career; and National Seelster (John
Campbell, 8-1), who prevailed in a hard-fought 1:50.3 mile after leaving from
post 10 in his last.
In the sub-featured
$15,000 top-level conditioned/optional claiming pace, Betty Tauber’s Elrama N
seeks a fourth straight win and second straight at the level after sustaining a
first-over push to the fore and parrying El Bloombito’s late charge to prevail
in 1:51.4 last week. The Michael Russo trainee remains at the level via the
optional $50,000 tag, and Corey Callahan is back aboard the 5-2 morning line
favorite.
Fans on-track can pad
their bankrolls in the Win Your Share of $2,016 giveaway, and enjoy a special
buffet dinner in Pink, complete with a champagne toast and fireworks display to
ring in the new year. Horsemen are invited to a New Year’s Eve party in the
skyboxes, courtesy Allerage Farms.
Post time for the first
of 13 races is slated for 7:15 p.m. Eastern.
