By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Despite 4-5
favorite Gangster Hanover having everything his way on the front end, Chin Chin
Hall emerged from the rail after a four-hole trip and wore down the leader in
deep stretch to take the featured $36,000 Open Trot at The Meadowlands Saturday
night.
Gangster Hanover and George
Napolitano Jr. set sail for the top from the rail in the abbreviated five-horse
field (there was one scratch) and hit the quarter in a tepid :28.2. Off a
14¼-length score in 1:52.2 at Pocono Downs, things looked good for the Ake
Svanstedt trainee, and they looked even better after the half was reached in
:55.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.1, all while 8-5 second choice
Lovedbythemasses, who twice has won this year in 1:50.2 (one of which was a win
in the Vincennes Trot on Hambletonian Day) was trailing the field.
Driver Victor Kirby took his shot
with Chin Chin Hall by vacating the rail on the far turn, and in workmanlike
fashion, chipped away at the leader’s edge through the stretch on the way to a
1-length victory in a lifetime-best 1:51.1. The pocket-sitting Chaptiama
outkicked Gangster Hanover for second.
A 5-year-old gelded son of Cash
Hall-Canland Hall who is trained by Nifty Norman and owned by Oldford Racing
and David McDuffee, Chin Chin Hall has now won 11 of 41 career starts and
banked $633,720. As the 16-1 fourth choice in the betting, he paid $35.40 to
win.
HANOVER ‘RUTHLESS’: Ruthless Hanover, the early season
Graduate Series sensation, flaunted his class in the pacing feature, scoring in
1:48.4 in a non-winners of $17,500 conditioned event.
The 4-year-old gelded son of
Somebeachsomewhere-Rockaroundthetrack had to get past a stubborn Ana Afreet N,
the eventual second-place finisher, to lead at the half in :55. From there, the
Tom Cancelliere trainee paced his back half in :53.4 to report home a 6-length
winner. Vettel N was third.
Owned by John Cancelliere, Ruthless
Hanover, who opened the year with three wins in four Graduate starts, paid
$3.20 to win as the 3-5 public choice. He’s now won 10-of-22 lifetime outings,
good for earnings of $205,968.
A LITTLE MORE: There were no winning tickets sold in
the 20-cent Pick-6, setting up a carryover of $9,776 for next week. Those with
five correct collected $171.52 … Free past performances for all Meadowlands
cards are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
… Victor Kirby, Joe Bongiorno and Jim Marohn Jr. all recorded driving doubles.
… All-source wagering totaled $2,166,478. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.
