East
Rutherford, N.J. – Driver Joe Bongiorno captured both featured events on
Friday (December 2) evening’s 12-race card at The Meadowlands, teaming up with
Windsun Glory ($4.00) in the $15,000 top distaff pace and B Yoyo ($4.00) in the
$17,500 trotting feature.
In
the distaff feature, carded as the night’s seventh race, Bongiorno put Windsun
Glory into play from the outset, pushing clear of early pacesetter Bullville
Maggie (Brett Miller) upon reaching the backstretch. The 3-year-old Mach Three
filly kept up a strong pace throughout, controlling a :56 first half mile
before repelling a stiff first-over challenge from Better Said (David Miller)
and kicking on to put four lengths on the field at the end of a 1:51.1 mile.
Bullville Maggie held second from her pocket trip, while Shutthefrontdoor (Andy
Miller) rallied off third-over cover to take third from the flattening Better
Said.
Ron
Burke trains Windsun Glory for the Burke Racing Stable, the Weaver Bruscemi
partnership, J&T Silva Stables, and Larry Karr.
Bongiorno
employed different tactics in the top trotting event, carded as race 11,
sweeping from last with B Yoyo to pass every other horse in the race in the
final five-sixteenths of the mile. The 6-year-old Striking Sahbra gelding
dropped to last immediately as Classical Annie (Tim Tetrick) sought control of
the terms and rated uncontested fractions of :28.3, :57.2, and 1:25.3. With
three-eighths to go, B Yoyo angled second-over behind Rock of Cashel (Corey
Callahan), advancing with live cover off the far turn before accelerating down
the grandstand side in the final eighth and striking the front in the last 40
yards to prevail by the better part of a length. Classical Annie maintained
second, while the outkicked Rock of Cashel stayed on for third place.
Richard
Johnson trains B Yoyo for Bill Lambos and Dionisios Liberatos.
The
night’s Pick 5 returned a healthy $4,697.40, and the early Pick 4 paid
$3,902.80, buoyed by wins from Rockers Alley (18-1) in race 3, Clear View
Hanover (11-1) in race 5, and Fox Valley Steffen (21-1) in race 6. In all,
players combined to wager $2,399,971 on the 12-race card.
Live
racing returns to the Big M on Saturday (December 3), with the first of 13
races due off at 7:15 p.m. Eastern time, and the last-race 20¢ Jackpot
Super High Five carryover now standing at $49,833.70.
