By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Captain
Barbossa and Papi Rob Hanover won in impressive fashion in Kindergarten Classic
action Friday night as live racing returned to the Meadowlands after a
nine-week hiatus.
A son of Captaintreacherous-Swinging
Beauty, Captain Barbossa was an easy three-quarter length, wire-to-wire winner
over Team Best in the first of two dashes for colts and geldings on the pace in
the Kindergarten, which is for 2-year-olds.
Andy McCarthy put the Tony Alagna
trainee on the point early, then cut out all the fractions on the way to a 1:52
score, his third win in 12 lifetime starts. The lifetime earner of $113,079,
who returned $2.60 to his backers as the 1-5 public choice, has hit the board
nine times.
In the other division for male
pacers, 1-9 favorite Papi Rob Hanover was a dominant winner for driver David
Miller and trainer Brett Pelling as the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Panera
Hanover stopped the clock in 1:52.
Miller had the lifetime earner of
$315,358 sit a three-hole trip to the top of the stretch before swinging wide
in the lane and easily powering past his foes to record a 2½-length score over
Force N Fury. He’s won three-of-eight in his career, hitting the board in every
start, and returned $2.10 to win.
GETTING IT DUNN: Fresh off his superb week at
Lexington’s Red Mile, where he was the leading Grand Circuit driver, Dexter
Dunn had four winners on the card. Scott Zeron, Marcus Miller and David Miller
had two apiece.
A LITTLE MORE: The Linda Toscano-trained Rocknificent
impressed from just off the pace as the 3-5 choice in a division of the
Kindergarten for pacing fillies, stopping the clock in 1:54.1, one of two
winners on the night for the Hall of Fame trainer. … Nifty Norman also
conditioned a pair to victory lane. … All-source handle on the 13-race program
totaled $2,294,061. … Racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
