By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Apparently,
Trolley did not get the memo.
You know the one. The one where
Muscle Diamond goes off as the 1-5 favorite in Friday night’s featured $21,000
Preferred Handicap for trotters at the Meadowlands and wins his sixth in a row
for fun.
No, Trolley was clearly not on board
with that.
In what is developing into a great
rivalry, Trolley and driver Marcus Miller powered their way past Muscle Diamond
in deep stretch to win for the fourth time in five starts, using a little
racing luck along the way.
For the first three-quarters, it was
the longest shot on the board, 43-1 chance Two AM, cutting the fractions.
Muscle Diamond vacated the four-hole at the half and gradually made up ground
on the leader as Trolley sat inside, racing in the three-hole as the flow
developed, putting himself in a tough spot with no place to race.
But at the top of the stretch, Miller
found his way off the rail as Muscle Diamond was starting to create separation
between himself and the rest of the field. In deep stretch, the relentless
Trolley found a seam between horses and charged at the leader, and with a late
burst got past the odds-on choice by three-quarters-of-a-length in 1:54. Dover
Downs invader Fraser Ridge rallied well for third.
As the 5-1 second choice in the
betting, Trolley returned $12.00 to his backers for trainer Erv Miller and
owners Michael Anderson, Leland Mathias, Greg Gillis and Louis Willinger.
Lifetime, the 6-year-old son of Donato Hanover-Lakeside Bride has won 12-of-26
starts and banked $302,959.
A LITTLE MORE: Wagering on the 50-Cent Pick-4
exceeded the $90,000 plateau for a fifth straight program, as $93,295 was
pushed through the windows. … Driver Shane Taggart recorded his first career
win at the Meadowlands, guiding Nows The Moment to a 1:54 score in the sixth
race conditioned trot. … Dexter Dunn drove three winners on the card while
Corey Callahan, Andy Miller and Pat Berry all had two apiece. … All-source
wagering on the 14-race program was $2,504,720. … Racing resumes Saturday at
7:15 p.m. Special guest announcer Larry Lederman will call the races.
