By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – After last
weekend saw him win six races and finish second on nine occasions in just 34
starts, Yannick Gingras upgraded from superb to scintillating at the
Meadowlands Thursday night, winning five times on the 11-race program.
Gingras, whose horses have earned
over $13 million during 2019, now has 32 wins at the Big M Fall Meeting,
trailing only Dexter Dunn, who has 41. Dunn did not race at the Meadowlands
Thursday.
Gingras got things going in the third
race, scoring with the Nick Surick-trained Sew Psyched in a fillies and mares
$7,500 claiming pace. The 4-5 favorite hit the wire in 1:56 on the way to
winning for the seventh time in 32 seasonal starts.
Gingras would then go from bake to
broil, winning four in a row beginning in Race 6.
Cracklin Rosie scored in a fillies
and mares conditioned pace for trainer Juan Cano. The 6-year-old mare completed
the mile in 1:54 and won by 4½ dominant lengths in wire-to-wire fashion after
being sent to the gate as the 3-5 public choice.
Next, Gingras guided 2-year-old
gelding Island Of The Sea to victory after traveling first-over for the final
half-mile in a non-winners of two pace. The Eric Ell trainee, who was the 4-5
favorite, hit the wire in 1:52.1 while winning for the second time in three
lifetime starts.
Gloria Pierre gave Gingras his fourth
score of the night with a gigantic mile as the 3-2 public choice in a fillies
and mares $10,000-$12,500 claiming handicap pace. The Yogi Sheridan trainee
went parked to the quarter from post 10, finally getting the lead just after
three-eighths before taking pressure and holding sway to the wire in 1:53.3 for
her eighth win of the year in 39 tries.
“I didn’t think the trip was that
hard,” said Gingras. “She won really easy two starts back. When I got to the
front tonight, I thought the fractions were fair. She did not surprise me at
all.”
The incredible Preppy Art completed
the 40-year-old driver’s five-bagger, scoring as the 4-5 choice in 1:53.1 in a
$10,000 claiming pace. Preppy Art, who won for the seventh time in his last
eight starts, was claimed for a seventh consecutive start, this time by Nick
Surick, who was Preppy Art’s trainer for his win on Dec. 5.
“I knew I had some live ones
tonight,” said Gingras. “I thought I had some power going in. I had some big
favorites, so I tried to take control of the races.”
Even on a big night, Gingras did some
second-guessing after tasting defeat with 1-5 favorite JB’s Shooting Star in
the 10th race. “It’s easy after the race,” said Gingras. “But I wish
I had gotten closer to the front, (Andy McCarthy driving Woodmere Oleksiak) had
position on me, and I had to outpace him home, instead of the other way
around.”
A LITTLE MORE: Before Gingras, the last driver to
win five times on a card was Dunn (on Dec. 13). … The last time a driver won
six times was when Gingras turned the trick on Feb. 2. … The USTA’s Michael
Carter did a superb job calling the races on the third of four “Borrow Ken’s
Binoculars” Thursdays. … All-source handle on the 11-race card was $1,277,001.
… Racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m.
