East Rutherford, N.J. – Cheryl
Costello’s homebred Icommandmyspirit ($4.60) lived up to favored billing in
Thursday (December 15) evening’s $13,500 featured distaff pace at The
Meadowlands, using a first-over push to put away pacesetter Bullville Maggie
and hold clear of the chasing Nerida Franco N en route to a 1:53.2 score on a chilly
December night.
Jim Marohn, Jr. floated the 6-year-old
daughter of Dragon Again forward into a contested pace and settled in fourth as
Bullville Maggie (Andy Miller) strode clear through a :27.3 first quarter mile.
As Bullville Maggie completed a :56 half mile, Icommandmyspirit began
first-over gains, steadily gaining to press the pace at the midpoint of the far
turn before dueling into the lead just above the eighth pole. Icommandmyspirit
had little trouble putting away Bullville Maggie, and would edge clear of the
field while driven out. Nerida Franco N (Steve Smith) followed live cover into
second, some 1-1/4 lengths in arrears. Better Said (Vinny Ginsburg) hooked out
of traffic in upper stretch and rallied to third, while UF Dragon’s Queen (Tyler
Smith) was able to escape the pocket in mid-stretch to save fourth.
John Bavosi trains Icommandmyspirit, now
a 30-time winner.
Crosbys Clam Bake victorious in return
effort
In the night’s sub-featured $13,000
trot, Crosbys Clam Bake ($5.80) proved victorious after a blast forward from
post 9, vaulting clear from the pocket in upper stretch to post a 3-1/2 length
win over Jacks to Open in 1:55.1 and giving Marohn a sweep of the night’s
feature events. The 6-year-old Kadabra gelding worked to clear two others
through the first five-sixteenths of the mile, but would yield to the pocket
behind Promise Delivered (John Campbell) before re-emerging up the pegs at the
top of the stretch. Crosbys Clam Bake burst through to take the lead again in
the last eighth, drawing off at will over the first-over Jacks to Open (Marcus
Miller) and the re-emerging Flying Isa N (Andy Miller).
Andy Federico trains Crosbys Clam Bake
for the partnership of Randy Bendis, Jack Piatt, II, and Tom Pollack.
A 13-race card is on tap for Friday,
with a pair of $18,000 top-level events sharing center stage. Post time is 7:15
p.m. Eastern.
