East Rutherford, NJ - While
there were many storylines on the racetrack at Meadowlands Racing &
Entertainment Saturday night, the most important story was in the final
numbers. Comparing to the Opening night Saturday of last season, the
results could not have been any better. Most notably, the live handle of
$360,212 yielded a 56-percent increase over this same day in 2012. The
total handle of $3,248,413 was a 12-percent increase over that same card and
marked the first time the Meadowlands
eclipsed $3 Million in the month of December since December 27, 2008.
On the racetrack, it was the 2013 Rising Star Award winner
Corey Callahan who led the charge. Callahan scored four wins on the
night, and more impressively he did so in his last five drives of the night and
came within one length of winning the last five races on the card. The
first of his four wins came with a repeat winner in Road Untravelled who took
the 9th race B-1 Pace in a 1:50.3 dead heat for trainer Gail Wrubel
and owners Mike Simons and Christopher Giaccio. The Captain came right
back in the 10th race with A Sweet Ride who scored in the $50,000
Claiming Pacing event in 1:50.3 for trainer Aaron Lambert and C&G Racing
Stable. Callahan narrowly missed in the 11th race, but came right
back to win the 12th with a rallying Late Night Joke in the C-1
event in 1:51 for P.J. Fraley and Bamond Racing. Callahan put a bow on
the night winning the C-1 event to close the card with heavily favored Avenue
Hanover in 1:52.1 for owner/trainer Mark Silva.
The dead heat on the card not only featured one of
Callahan’s four wins, but a triumphant ending to a marvelous career.
Forest Vic A, having never won a race at the
Meadowlands in his 14 years, got his nose on the wire simultaneously with Road
Untraveled to dead heat for the win and close out his career on the highest of
high notes. Forest Via A was campaigned by Karen Garland for Night Rogue
Racing Stable, B. Kay and Steve Smith, who was in the bike for the gelding’s
last trip around the oval.
The featured $30,000 A-1/FFA Handicap was won by Arockin
Hanover who rallied from dead last to win in 1:49.2 for Jason Robinson and
owner Robert Main. The victory was one of three on the card for John
Campbell. Ron Pierce also scored a driving triple on the night.
The fastest mile of the night went to Dovuto Hanover, who
looked like a powerhouse drawing clear impressively in a 1:48.4 triumph in the
B-1/A-2 Handicap for 3 Year Olds. Ron Pierce Drove for trainer Darran
Cassar and Marty Scharf.
Racing returns as we flip the calendar to 2014 on Thursday
night, featuring a 13-race program and the opening round of The Super Bowl
Trotting Series containing four divisions. Post Time for the Thursday
card is 7:15 P.M. For more information, log onto playmeadowlands.com
