MANALAPAN,
NJ – May 31, 2014 – Trotters Trixton and Heaven’s Door, and pacers Doo Wop
Hanover and Act Now captured the quartet of $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes
Finals for three-year-olds, the featured events on Jerseyfest night, Saturday,
May 31, 2014, at the Meadowlands.
Even
in a field of five, the drawing the rail was the key to victory for 9/5 second
choice Doo Wop Hanover in the $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final for
three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, the second race on card.
John
Campbell sent Doo Wop Hanover [$5.80] to the lead on the backstretch,
relinquished the front to 2/5 favorite Western Vintage as they passed the half
and drafted until they straightened out in the homestretch.
Doo
Wop Hanover, a son of Rocknroll Hanover, outsprinted Western Vintage [Western
Ideal] to the wire in a lifetime best of 1:50 flat. The margin of victory
was one-length.
Beat
The Drum [Tell All] was third by two lengths. There was no show wagering.
“I
think the difference was drawing the rail and getting away good, not using him
hard,” said Campbell. “I was able to follow Western Vintage into the
lane. We beat a very good colt in Western Vintage. I think this
colt earned the right to go to Toronto for the North America Cup.”
Trained
by Steve Elliott, Doo Wop Hanover now has two wins and one second in three
starts this year. The $52,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase has finished
in-the-money in nine of 15 career starts, banking $137,013 for the partnership
of Peter Blood of Pompano Beach, FL; Rick Berks of Boca Raton, FL and Gary
Piontkowski of North Smithfield, RI.
Trixton’s
six and a half-length victory was no surprise in the $100,000 New Jersey Sire
Stakes Final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in the third race.
The
1/5 favorite romped with a 26.4 final quarter, stopping the clock in 1:52.1,
matching the stakes record set by Manofmanymissions in 2011 and equaled by
Smilin Eli in 2013.
“He
is so nice, a real pleasure to drive,” said winning driver-trainer Jimmy
Takter. “He’s a [perfect] 10 in every category.”
Takter
moved the Muscle Hill colt to the lead on the backstretch and opened up ground
in the final eighth of a mile, leaving it to Martiniwithmuscle to edge out
Lightning Force, both by Muscle Hill, for minor spoils.
Takter
indicated that Trixton [$2.40] would be heading to the Goodtimes in Ontario and
not likely to meet his other two trotting standouts, Father Patrick and Nuncio,
until the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 12 at the Meadowlands.
Trixton,
a $360,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase, picked up his third straight win
in four starts this year and now has seven wins, two seconds and one third in
12 tries. He has now earned $144,583 for the partnership of Brixton
Medical AB of Orsundsbro, Sweden and Christina Takter of East Windsor, NJ.
Last
week, Heaven’s Door was disqualified when she raced inside three pylons in the
stretch. This week, the daughter of Muscle Hill was straight and true to
the wire, winning the $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final for three-year-old
trotting fillies, the fourth race, in a stakes record 1:52 flat.
Trainer-driver
Ake Svanstedt guided the filly to a length and a half victory over Lady Suffolk
winner Cee Bee Yes [Muscles Yankee]. My Inspiration [Chocolatier] was
third by six and a quarter lengths.
Heaven’s
Door [$10.40] scored a wire-to-wire tally, picking up her first victory in her
seventh career start and doubling her lifetime earnings to $100,255 for Mellby
Gard Inc of Vero Beach, FL. Bred in Sweden by Winwintrotting AB, she was
a $90,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase.
The
1:52 clocking eclipsed the 1:52.4 stakes record established by Passionate Glide
in 2006.
Tim
Tetrick tested Act Now early and pushed her to the lead with a 26.4 first
quarter and 54.3 half and extended that advantage in the stretch to win the
$100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, the fifth
race, in 1:49.3.
Sent
off as the even-money favorite, Act Now, a daughter of Western Ideal, paid
$4.20, finishing two lengths ahead of Sayitall BB [Tell All]. Fanticipation
[Rocknroll Hanover] was third by four and three-quarter lengths.
Act
Now, a $40,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase trained by Nikolas Drennan,
posted her second straight win in her third start of the year. She now
has five wins, one second and two thirds in 12 lifetime outings. She has
banked $256,559 for Joseph Davino of Clarksburg, NJ and Patrick O’Brien of New
Hyde Park, NY.
-By
Carol Hodes for SBOANJ
