By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The night
before the 93rd Hambletonian it was bombs away at the Meadowlands
Friday, as a track that had seen 29 favorites score in its previous 60 races
(48 percent) became the land of long shots.
Five times on the 12-race card the
winner’s odds were 16-1 or higher, and even though the 50-Cent Pick-5 saw a 2-5
shot win leg four, the payout was still a hefty $12,016.25.
The non-chalk parade began in the
opening race when amateur driver Roberto Michelotto guided Cheeky Little Minx
($48.60) to victory in an event for Hambletonian Amateur Drivers.
The second amateur drivers race saw
Jennifer Lappe guide Fox Valley Steffen ($69.80) to victory lane in race five.
Ake Svanstedt, who has a big chance to win both the Hambletonian and
Hambletonian Oaks Saturday, took race seven with Can’t Afford It ($35.80)
before Sprinter N ($69.80) rocked the clock to the tune of 1:48.3 in the
eighth.
The ninth race saw Steve Smith score
with Atlas Alliance N ($49.60) to complete a Pick-3 that returned a whopping $6,797.00,
while the 50-Cent Pick-4 (races eight through 11) came back $6,128.50 - despite
being anchored by 3-1 and 3-5 winners - given the big prices that started the
sequence in the eighth and ninth.
A LITTLE MORE: Brett Miller, Andy Miller and Andy
McCarthy all recorded driving doubles. … All-source handle totaled $2,332,354.
HAMBO DAY! The 93rd edition of the
Hambletonian is the centerpiece for Saturday’s 16-race, stakes-laden card at
the Big M. Doors open at 10 a.m. Post time for the first race is noon. Post
time for the Hambletonian is 5:14 p.m. If you can’t make it to the track, the
Hambo can be seen live on the CBS Sports Network. The 90-minute broadcast
begins at 4 p.m.
