By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Last Friday,
Major Occasion A flew home in :25.3, but because she was eighth at
three-quarters while three-wide, had to settle for second at the hands of rival
Sandy Win, who would win a third straight start.
Driver Dexter Dunn made sure that
wasn’t going to happen again.
Major Occasion A, instead of racing
from well off the pace as she had in her first two North American outings, was
hustled to the top at the half this time around and had little trouble from
there, recording an easy score in the Friday night feature at the Meadowlands,
a $25,000 high-end conditioned pace for fillies and mares.
Dunn, who would go on to win four
times on the program after his incredible seven-winner night last Saturday, had
Major Occasion A in the four-hole early before brushing up to take command at
the half while parked before settling in on the point.
Ideal Lifestyle A was left first-over
at this point while applying token pressure as Major Occasion A used a :27.1
third quarter to maintain a safe 1½-length lead on the pocket-sitting Odds On
St Lucie.
Through the stretch, no one
threatened the 1-2 favorite, who reported home an easy 1¾-length winner in 1:51
after pacing her final half in 54.2. Odds On St Lucie held second with Wisdom
Tree rallying for third. Sandy Win failed in her bid for a fourth straight
score, settling for fourth after racing three-wide at three-quarters from
mid-pack.
Major Occasion A, a 6-year-old
daughter of Art Major-Fake Occasion who is trained by Nifty Norman, returned
$3.00 to her backers and has now won 16 times from 51 lifetime starts for
owners Enzed Racing Stable. Her earnings stand at $193,280.
For Dunn, it was merely another day
at the salt mine, with one – make that two – exceptions. The 30-year-old New
Zealand native did score with the heavy favorite in the feature and with 4-1
Hammer Time in a mid-range conditioned trot, but he also won with a pair of
longshots.
The 2019 United States Harness
Writers Association’s Driver of the Year guided 20-1 Bold Goddess to victory
lane in a low-end conditioned trot and also scored with the night’s biggest
price of the night with 26-1 chance Auteur Hanover, who hit the wire first in another
low-end conditioned trot.
Dunn now has 18 winners at the winter
meeting and is well in front of Corey Callahan, whose driving double gave him
10 victories, good for second in the driver standings.
A PAIR OF FOURS: Yannick Gingras is apparently not interested
in Dunn running away with the driver’s title, as the Big M overall driver champ
from 2019 also guided four to the winner’s circle.
A LITTLE MORE: One sharp player betting into the
Oregon Express hub held the only ticket to last five legs in the 20-cent
Survivor Pick-10 and walked away with $8,596.70. The wager has now paid at
least $3,526.86 during each of the last five race cards. … Chalk players took
it on the chin most of the night as only two favorites won over the first 12
races, which helped bolster the payouts of the 50-cent Pick-5 ($6,292.35) and
50-cent Pick-4 ($3,155.05). … All-source wagering on the card totaled
$2,416,176. … Racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
