By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The hottest
name in harness racing these days is Dexter Dunn, and the recently named United
States Harness Writers Association’s Driver of the Year lived up to his
considerable current hype at the Meadowlands Saturday night, winning seven times
on the 14-race program, falling just one victory short of tying the mark for
most wins on a Big M program.
Dunn was red-hot from the start
sweeping the Early Daily Double that paid $24.20. The 30-year-old New Zealand
native then turned up the volume to “10” by winning five straight races
beginning in Race 5.
Among those winners were JL Cruze,
the first-ever sub-1:50 trotter in Meadowlands history, and a pair of Down
Under pacers from Darren Cassar’s barn.
The first was Italian Delight N, who
flew home off cover to take the sixth race before Effronte A, a 7-year-old
gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven-Fleur De Lil, exploded home in :25.4 after a
cover trip to win in 1:48.3, the fastest mile of the year in the sport.
Dunn’s final two wins were of the
close-call variety, as he scored with Harambe Deo in the featured high-range
conditioned pace, barely edging out Eddard Hanover, who came back along the
inside very late after being passed in deep stretch. In the next race, Dunn and
Hurrikane Ali got passed by Whatstroublnurocky only to come back nearing the
wire and score by a small neck to give Dunn his seven-bagger.
“JL Cruze was great,” said Dunn. “I
was really happy with the way he trotted tonight. He was very smooth. Effronte
A was awesome. He got a really good trip. When I asked him halfway down the
straight, he knuckled down and was really motoring.”
Here is a recap of Dunn’s winners,
with horse, winning time, post-time odds (*-denotes favorite) and race
conditions:
·
Willie Boots, 1:52.1,
9-5*, TrackMaster rating of 79.5 or less pace
·
A Major Omen, 1:50.2,
7-2, 5YO and under NW of 2 pace
·
JL Cruze, 1:51.2, 3-5*,
NW of $15,000 trot
·
Italian Delight N,
1:50.1, 9-5*, NW of $10,000 pace
·
Effronte A, 1:48.3,
6-5*, NW of $10,000 pace
·
Harambe Deo, 1:50.2,
7-5*, NW of $22,500 pace
·
Hurrikane Ali, 1:51.2,
7-2, TrackMaster rating of 79.5 or less pace
“I was not aware,” said Dunn if he
knew about how close he was to making Meadowlands history. “I had some good
drives, but it doesn’t always work out. I got some good trips and my horses
raced really well tonight.”
In Race 11, it appeared Dunn had the
record tied when he and Rock Lights had a 4-length lead with three-sixteenths
of a mile to go. But it wasn’t to be. “He just over-raced,” said Dunn. “He got
down to the half fast (:53.4) and I was trying to get him to go slower, but he
was really fired up.” Rock Lights weakened and finished third.
The record of eight wins on a
Meadowlands program is shared by Mike Lachance (July 14, 1995) and Brett Miller
(December 16, 2016). The last time a driver had seven on a card was Yannick
Gingras, who turned the trick on Feb. 1 of last year.
A LITTLE MORE: For those who hit the first 2020
edition of the Can-Am Pick-4 it was a good night, as the payout for the wager
with the 20-cent base was $1,413.40. … The Late 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five
failed to result in a single-ticket winner, bloating the carryover to $105,787.
… All-source handle totaled $2,567,930. … Racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m.
