East Rutherford, N.J. – Buddy Hally
($33.20) unleashed a vicious first-over push through the last three-eighths of
a mile in Friday (December 9) evening’s co-featured $13,000 fourth-level
trotting event at The Meadowlands, putting away Opulent Yankee with ease and
evading 2012 Hambletonian winner Market Share for a 1:52.3 triumph.
The 6-year-old Angus Hall gelding
floated forward in the initial stages, securing a clear tracking spot behind
the top pair of Opulent Yankee (Andy Miller) and Waiting On a Woman (Joe
Bongiorno) through initial splits of :27.2 and :56.2. With seven-sixteenths to
go and a gradually advancing Market Share (Tim Tetrick) improving into the
mid-division, Corey Callahan angled Buddy Hally first-over, and they
accelerated to press immediately, dueling into a joint lead with Opulent Yankee
a quarter from home. Buddy Hally edged clear upon cornering for home, easily
powering past Opulent Yankee and holding clear of the chasing Market Share with
similar facility, only receiving a few taps of the whip to stay on task for a
two-length win. Fashion Creditor (Brett Miller) rallied belatedly down the grandstand
side to take third, another 2-1/4 lengths detached.
Dylan Davis trains Buddy Hally—now a
16-time winner—for Howard Taylor and NR Holdings, LLC.
In the evening’s other fourth-level
trotting event, I C Caviar ($14.40) used similar tactics en route to a 1:53.3
score, angling first-over from just off the front flight up the far side and
wearing down 3-2 favorite Wing Flash (Andy Miller) before edging away to evade
the second-over Promise Delivered (David Miller) by 2-1/2 lengths. Brett
Miller, who led all drivers with four wins on the evening’s 12-race program,
drove the 5-year-old Malabar Millennium gelding for trainer Joe Hanney.
$39k Pick 4 carryover to Saturday
Double-digit upsets from Blush Hanover
(31-1) and Jacks to Open (25-1) stymied players in the evening’s Late Pick 4
sequence which saw no favorites prevail. As a result, Saturday (December 10)
evening's card will feature a Late Pick 4 carryover of $39,173.27, with the
sequence beginning in race seven. The closing-race 20¢ Jackpot High Five sports
a hefty carryover as well, now standing at $57,161.17.
Players combined to wager $2,167,514 on
the Friday card.
Post time for the first of 13 Saturday
events is set for 7:15 p.m. Eastern.
