Feeling You, the 2-1 second choice, edged
Anndrovette, the 1-2 favorite, by a nose in the first division. Andy Miller
drove for trainer Amber Buter as the 6-year-old won for the eighth time in 13
starts this season. The time for the mile was a lifetime best 1:48 4-5,
equaling the stakes record set by Burning Point in 2005. She paid $6.40 to win.
Rocklamation rallied to beat Krispy Apple by
1¼ lengths in the second division. Yannick Gingras was at the lines for trainer
Ron Burke as the 5-year-old paced the mile in 1:49 3-5. She paid $6.20 to win
as the 2-1 favorite.
In a memorable effort, Fred And Ginger set a
world record in the $50,000 TVG Free-For-All Pace
In
the first $90,450 Golden Girls division, Anndrovette surged to the lead
approaching the opening quarter with Feeling You sitting right behind.
They
maintained that order until Feeling You challenged at the top of lane. Feeling
You surged to a short lead but Androvette was not done. The champion older
pacing mare the last two seasons exerted her class as Androvette battled back
to force a photo finish. At the end, Feeling You prevailed by a nose.
Feeling You is owned by Stephen
Oldford, Oldford Farms and Tyler Buter, Amber’s husband.
Rocklamation has a big finishing
kick and Gingras timed it perfectly in the second $92,950 division. A
hard-charging second last weekend in the Betsy Ross at Harrah’s Philadelphia,
Rocklamation got all the money this time with a powerful 26 second final
quarter.
Economy Terror, the Betsy Ross
winner, battled her way to the front with a long, determined grind. That effort
left her vulnerable as Rocklamation stormed home for her 18th win in
68 starts.
“The bigger the track, the better
it is for her,” said Gingras. “She’s got one big half, and you don’t want to
use it too early.”
The 5-year-old daughter of
Rocknroll Hanover is owned by J & T Silva Stables, Stable 45 and Our Horse
Cents Stables.
Drop The Ball was third.
The best of the action of the
evening came in the TVG Free For All as Fred And Ginger split rivals in deep
stretch to earn that world record.
It was a mile full of thunder and
fury.
The 6-year-old became the fastest
pacing stallion with a 1:47 4/5 mark as he swept the first two legs of the
series that culminates with a $500,000 final here on Nov. 30.
Each TVG Series win is worth 35
points, giving Fred And Ginger the early leadership role with 70 points.
Golden Receiver, as expected,
blasted right to the lead. In a stunning move, Pet Rock, making his first start
of the season, took it right to the leader.
They hooked up in a blazing 25
3/5 opening quarter and continued to knock heads down the backside. Gingras, seeing the speed duel developing, unleashed Sweet
Lou with a three wide sweep. Last week’s
Maturity winner took it to Golden Receiver and Sweet Lou eventually won that
battle. But it came at a cost. Sweet Lou
battled on bravely but Fred And Ginger, who saved all the ground, snatched away
the win by a head to stamp his name in the record book.
“I wasn’t that surprised,” driver
Ron Pierce second of the world record. “The conditions were right, and you’ve
got great horses.”
It was a 1-2 finish for trainer
Ron Burke. He also sent out fourth-place finisher Dynamic Youth who was coupled
in the betting with Fred And Ginger. The entry paid $8.20 to win. Fred And Ginger is owned by J & T Silva, Howard Taylor,
Edwin Gold and Robert Feldman.
Smilin
Eli continued on the road to the $1.2 million Hambletonian on Aug. 3 at the
Meadowlands with a another impressive win in the New Jersey Sires Stakes.
The
Big M hosted the four $150,000 NJSS Championship finals for 3-year-olds.
The
quartet of stakes turned into a showcase for the unbeaten Smilin Eli. The son
of Muscles Yankee owned by Nicholas Cimino is now a perfect 3 for 3 following
an impressive 1:52 1/5 win.
The
time equaled the stakes record set by Manofmanymissions in 2011.
As
usual, Tim Tetrick was at the lines for trainer Deshawn Minor. As expected, the
1-10 shot never had an anxious moment.
Smilin Eli took command entering
the backstretch, and the contest was over.
“I wanted to be in charge,”
Tetrick said. “He didn’t really want to settle. I just let him go ahead and
move. I thought I had the best horse. I didn’t want to take any chances of
making a mistake back there, so I just went ahead and put him on the front.”
Corky gave chase but could only
trim the final margin to 2 1-4 lengths.
The latest win has Tetrick
dreaming the Hambletonian dream.
“You’re always hoping to find
that special one,” Tetrick said. “Everything right now is going in the right
direction. He’s pointing that way.”
Muscle Mountain was third to give
trainer Jimmy Takter a 2-3 finish in the stakes.
Shared Past took the Trotting
Filly NJSS in 1:53 4/5 as the 4-5 favorite, seizing the moment with a
three-wide sweep at the midpoint on the backstretch. Shared Past held off Miss Steele by three quarters of a
length for her second win in as many starts this season.
The time was 1:53 4/5.
“I don’t think today was her best
performance,” said Gingras. “She’s a very nice filly and she came back strong
as a 3-year-old but I think she was better in the eliminations. Maybe there’s a
little something there. That’s scary to say after she just won but I don’t
think she was 100 percent.”
It will be up to Jonas Czernyson
to resolve any issues. He trains the daughter of Chocolatier for W.J. Donovan.
Vintage Oaks was third.
Rockin Amadeus weaved and bobbed
through the lane but he kept moving forward with enough momentum to squeeze out
the win by a neck in the Colt & Gelding Championship. The 1-2 favorite was timed in 1:49 3/5 as Gingras
picked up another stakes win, this time for trainer Jimmy Takter. The Breeders Crown champion in a 17-1 upset last season,
Rockin Amadeus is now 2 for 2 this year for Lothlorien. Johny Rock was second, followed by Wake Up Peter.
Ms Caila J Fra closed out the
NJSS with a stakes record 1:49 performance in the Filly Pace with Simon Allard
in the sulky for trainer Steve Elliott and the Fra Stable. Jerseylicious was second followed by I Luv The Nitelife.
O Narutac Rockette went on a break and fell. Pierce
did a commendable job of holding onto the reins, keeping filly under restraint
after she bounced back up.
On the wagering front, it was one
of the best nights of the year. The total handle of $3,507,651 was an
increase of $1,098,490 from the same Saturday in 2012, or a resounding
46-percent. Just as exciting were the increases shown on track.
Attendance was up 50-percent and the on-track handle showed an increase of
15-percent.
Racing returns on Friday, with
the start of the Summer Survivor Series with Post Time at 7:15 P.M.
