By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The action at
the Meadowlands has heated up in a big way of late, and the trend continued
Saturday night. Wagering on the 13-race card pushed past the $3-million mark
for the second time this year as $3,026,740 was put in play.
The other time betting went past the
magic $3-million mark was on Jan. 3, when $3,069,967 was pushed through the
windows.
Saturday night got off to a good
start, as in the first race, $250,382 in action was taken. A total of $71,830
was pumped into the 50-cent Pick-5 pool, outdoing the previous 2020 best of
$63,798 (on Jan. 4) by 12.5 percent.
Betting on the 50-cent Pick-4 also
reached a season high with a total pool of $117,502, which is just over $8,000
more than was pushed through the windows on Jan. 3. Total wagering on the
eighth race – which is the start of the Pick-4 – was a night-best $306,163.
Betting has now surpassed the
$2.5-million mark for three straight racing programs at the Big M.
PAPPY KEEPS GO GO GOING: Pappy Go Go ran his winning streak to
four facing his toughest test yet, taking the co-featured $37,500 Preferred for
trotters.
The Andrew Harris-trained 6-year-old
son of Tad The Stud-Paging Willy left the gate quickly, along with Nows The
Moment and JL Cruze while Misslarose was also away alertly to protect rail
position.
Pappy Go Go marched to the top at the
three-eighths and took the field past the half before taking pressure from JL
Cruze, who backed off just a bit on the far turn before coming back on late,
only to be out-kicked for second by Muscle Diamond, who was explosive in the
latter stages to miss by a neck.
Corey Callahan drove the winner, who
covered the mile in 1:52.3, to his 33rd win from 84 lifetime starts,
good for earnings of $268,297 for owners Michael Goldberg Racing. He returned
$4.20 as the even-money favorite.
“It’s the Pappy-lands,” joked Harris.
“He’s as good as he’s ever been. He beat a solid group tonight. In this class,
you can’t expect a blowout every week. Corey is driving him smart.”
THE CAPTAIN COMMANDS BOTH FEATURES: Callahan, aka The Captain, was the
driver colony’s top gun Saturday, winning four times on the night. The
41-year-old pilot swept both features, as after winning with Pappy Go Go, he
guided Endeavor to the winner’s circle in the $37,500 Preferred for pacers.
Working out a pocket trip behind 8-5
favorite Italian Delight N – who was looking for his third win in as many
starts since arriving in North America from Australia – Endeavor vacated the
pocket in mid-stretch and rolled right by the public choice to record an
authoritative 3½-length victory in 1:49.1. Sicily out-kicked Italian Delight N
for second.
Endeavor, a 7-year-old gelded son of
American Ideal-Jett Diamond who is trained by Jeff Cullipher, won for the 33rd
from 112 lifetime starts, and now has earnings of $702,062 for owners Pollack
Racing and Jeff Cullipher. As the third choice in the betting, he paid $8.20 to
win.
REMINDER: When racing resumes Friday (Feb. 7),
post time will change to 6:55 p.m.
A LITTLE MORE: Woodbine Mohawk Park TV personality
Monique Vag correctly selected the Can-Am Pick-4 that returned $260 for a
20-cent bet. … Yannick Gingras matched Callahan, driving four winners on the card.
Not surprisingly, trainer Ron Burke conditioned all of Gingras’ winners … One
sharp player betting into the Oregon hub held the only ticket to last six legs
in the 20-cent Survivor Pick-10 and cashed in for $10,026.
