By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Rocknificent and
Hen Party won their respective divisions of the sixth and final leg of the
Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-olds Friday night at the Meadowlands, setting
up what should be an interesting final for pacing fillies next week.
Rocknificent sat in the three-hole
from the start, and when driver Scott Zeron asked for speed nearing the top of
the stretch, the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Rocklamation responded in a big
way, powering to a 6¾-length win over Courting Marie in a lifetime-best 1:51.1
for trainer Linda Toscano. The 2-5 favorite returned $2.80 to her backers in
winning for the fifth time in 10 starts.
Hen Party was permitted to rate a
middle half in :58 on the way to an easy score in a lifetime-best 1:52.2 for
driver Pat Berry and trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Roll With Joe-My Lady
Day was 1½ lengths clear of Love For Sail at the wire. She’s now won three of
14 starts, to go along with 11 on-the-board finishes. She paid $2.60 to win as
the 1-5 public choice.
In other Kindergarten Classic action,
El Ideal was dominant in the colt and gelding trot, hitting the wire 6¼ lengths
in front of Barley for driver Andy Miller and trainer Ake Svanstedt. The son of
Muscle Hill-Courtney Hall completed the mile in 1:54.1 and paid $2.20 to win at
odds of 1-9.
Chief Mate pulled off an upset in the
colt and gelding pace, scoring at odds of 7-1 – paying $16.20 – with Mitch
Cushing driving for trainer Tony Alagna. The product of
Captaintreacherous-Heaven Forbid hit the wire three-quarters-of-a-length in
front of Force N Fury in 1:50.4, a lifetime best. Captain Barbossa, one of six
Alagna trainees among the nine starters in the race, finished third as the 4-5
favorite.
Filly trotter Senorita Rita never had
an anxious moment on the way to a 5-length score over Common Sense S in a
lifetime-best 1:54. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Lindys Head Nurse, who was
driven by Zeron and is trained by Toscano, returned $3.60 to win as the 4-5
favorite.
A LITTLE MORE: The four Kindergarten Classic Finals take place
Saturday, Nov. 2, and have estimated purses totaling just over $850,000. … Both
Andy Miller and Marcus Miller recorded driving triples on the program. …
Trainer Jenn Bongiorno sent three to the winner’s circle. … One lucky player
wagering into the Twin Sires hub was the only bettor to last seven legs in the
20-cent Survivor Pick-10 and walked away with $6,302. … All-source wagering on
