By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Trainer Tony
Alagna was on target at the Meadowlands Friday night, scoring three times in
the second leg of the Kindergarten Classic series for 2-year-olds.
Ramona Hill got things going for
Alagna in the second race filly trot. The daughter of Muscle Hill-Lock Down
Lindy led at every call on the way to an easy 4¾-length score over Jula Beauty
Am in 1:54.1, giving her two wins in as many Kindergarten – and lifetime –
starts. Andy McCarthy was in the sulky behind the 1-9 favorite.
In the very next race, 22-1 longshot
Captain Kirk sat a three-hole trip before bursting through between rivals late
to record a nose win over 3-5 shot Captain Nemo – who is also trained by Alagna
– in a division for pacing colts and geldings. Captain Kirk, a son of
Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover who was driven by Yannick Gingras, completed
the mile in 1:51.2 in winning his first career race in two tries.
Alagna would have to wait until the
14th and final race on the program to complete his three-bagger, as
his Chief Mate scored in 1:51.1 in another colts and geldings pace. The 2-5
public choice, who is a son of Captaintreacherous-Heaven Forbid, held on by a
nose over a fast-closing Bombshell Hanover. Like Ramona Hill, Chief Mate has
now made both of his lifetime starts in the Kindergarten and won them both.
SATURDAY POST TIME CHANGE: Due to the anticipated extreme high
heat, Saturday’s 13-race program will begin at 8 p.m.
A LITTLE MORE: McCarthy and Dave Miller paced the
driver’s colony with three wins apiece, while Gingras and Andy Miller each had
a pair. … Trainer Marcus Melander had two winners on the card. … All-source
handle on the 14-race program totaled $2,306,944. There have been 57 race dates
at the Big M in 2019, and on 56 occasions, handle has exceeded the $2.3-million
mark.
