By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Abbeylara
loves to win from off the pace. So much, in fact, that he did it for a second
straight start at the Meadowlands, hitting the wire a head in front of The
Bruiser to win the Dash For The “G” Notes Final Thursday night. Pumped Up Kicks
was third.
Abbeylara moved into the Nick Surick
barn less than a month ago, and it’s been all systems go ever since. He won
his first start as a Surick student on Nov. 24 at Freehold before finishing
second at the half-mile track in her next outing.
The 9-year-old gelded son of Dragon
Again-Lisbella came to the Big M on Dec. 6 and won his Dash For The “G” Notes
preliminary by splitting rivals late, and this time around, he was equally
impressive.
Driver Andy Miller had Abbeylara away
in fifth, and when he moved to the outside at the half, he gapped his cover in
what looked to be a sub-par effort. But Miller kept Abbeylara in the hunt, and
with a little more than an eighth of a mile to go, Abbeylara started rolling,
getting up in deep stretch to nail the speedy The Bruiser in a remarkably game
effort in 1:53.1.
Abbeylara’s night was over, but
Surick’s had just begun.
Surick, whose 136 winners at Freehold
are 105 more than his closest pursuer, also won the ninth (with Ella Christina)
and 10th (Ideal Romance) races on the card. His three winners
doubled his Big M meet total.
MELADY’S MONET ROLLS: Showing no ill effects of having been
on the sidelines since June 24, lifetime $1.3 million earner Melady’s Monet had
explosive late trot to win the overnight feature, a $15,000 conditioned event,
in 1:53 as the 3-5 public choice, gunning down Misslarose at the wire after
swinging three-wide at three-quarters.
A LITTLE MORE: Track Chief Operating Officer and
General Manager Jason Settlemoir called the races as the Big M continued its
Thursday night “Borrow Ken’s Binoculars” promotion, with Ken Warkentin stepping
aside to bring some new voices to the Big M faithful. Peter Kleinhans is up
next Thursday. … It was a good night to be a driving Miller, as eight of the 10
races on the card were taken by Andy (3), Brett (3), Dave and Marcus. … Andy
McCarthy won the second race to up his meet-leading driver-win total to 31. …
All-source handle on the card was $1,153,995. … Racing resumes Friday at 7:15
p.m. … Remember, there is no racing Saturday due to the New York Jets game at
MetLife Stadium.
