By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – On the biggest
night of the Meadowlands’ Fall Meeting, driver Yannick Gingras came up huge.
The 40-year-old pilot guided four
winners on the Saturday night card at the Meadowlands, with two of those
victories coming among the eight TVG/Fall Final Four events.
Gingras won his first of the night
with the Ron Burke-trained Matticulous GB in a $21,000 conditioned pace. The
1-5 favorite ran his record to eight wins in as many 2019 starts after hitting
the finish in 1:50.1, a lifetime-best.
Then Gingras got serious.
Driving 4-year-old Always A Prince
($12.00 to win) for the first time, Gingras and the Tyler George trainee paced
a back half in a wicked :53.2 on the way to a 1:48.2 score in the $350,000 TVG
Open Pace over favorite Bettor’s Wish and American History.
In the very next race, JK First Lady
gave Gingras his third score of the night in the $411,000 Three Diamonds for
2-year-old fillies on the pace. The Nancy Johansson student stopped the clock
in a track-record – and lifetime-best – 1:49.2 in front of Rocknificent and
favorite Lyons Sentinel and paid $8.20 to win.
Quality Bud gave Gingras his fourth
of the night in the 12th race $16,000 conditioned pace at odds of
4-1, completing the mile in 1:51.3 for trainer Andrew Harris.
A LITTLE MORE: A meet-best $110,502 was wagered in
the 50-cent Pick-4. … All-source handle on the 13-race program was $2,699,358,
missing the meet high of $2,730,886 (established on November 2) by just over
$30,000. … Racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m.
