By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The Meadowlands
faithful were given plenty of opportunity, and they took advantage by betting
with both hands throughout Saturday night’s 18-race program. When the dust
cleared, wagering totaled $4,100,386, the highest for a non-Hambletonian Day or
Meadowlands Pace Night in memory.
In fact, other than the $6,501,778
wagered on Hambletonian Day 2019, the only other $4-million handle last year
was on Meadowlands Pace Night, when a total of $4,044,303 was pushed through
the windows.
Wagering was steady throughout
Saturday’s card, with the $300,000 barrier busted only once (on the third
race). There were two other races on the card that saw betting of at least
$290,000.
The tally for the weekend was
impressive, as a total of $7,582,203 was wagered on the 36 races, good for an
average per race of $210,616.
‘ANGEL’ BEDEVILS FOES: Guardian Angel As was a dominant
winner in the co-feature on the Saturday card, the Preferred for trotters.
The 6-year-old son of
Archangel-Provide As never had an anxious moment scoring as the 3-5 public
choice, as after Obrigado took the field past the quarter in a snappy :26.2,
driver Tim Tetrick moved the Anette Lorentzon trainee to the top soon thereafter.
A rated middle half of :56.4 saw
Guardian Angel As open up what would turn out to be an insurmountable 2½-length
lead at the head of the stretch on the way to a sparkling 4¼-length triumph
over JL Cruze in a lifetime-best 1:50.1. Phaetosive was third.
Guardian Angel As ($3.20 to win), who
earned $798,294 a year ago during a campaign that was highlighted by a win over
Atlanta in the Maple Leaf Trot, now has 24 career victories from 58 starts and
a bank account that stands at $1,328,540 for owners ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell
Johansson.
GEEZ, JOE SCORES: Geez Joe benefitted from a patient
Marcus Miller drive and some racing luck to win the co-featured Preferred for
pacers in 1:48.1.
Trapped at the rail sitting in the
four-hole in sixth place, Miller found some space coming off the far turn, and
once clear, sprinted past Sintra nearing the wire to record a
three-quarter-length score, upping his lifetime stats to 22 wins in 68 starts,
with earnings of $294,120 for trainer Erv Miller and owners Bay Pond Racing Stable.
Geez Joe, whose lifetime mark is 1:47.4, paid $10.60 as the third choice in the
wagering.
HOT STUFF: Trainers Ray Schnittker and Shane
Tritton are raising eyebrows in the first few weeks back since the coronavirus
shutdown.
Schnittker has a pair of impressive
3-year-old pacing males who figure to be heard from as the stakes season comes
into focus. His Captain Groovy (Captaintreacherous-Lets Groove Tonite) made it
two straight Meadowlands wins when he stopped the clock in 1:48 for driver Mark
MacDonald. The time was just a tick off the fastest mile of the year in the
sport.
Splash Brother completed the
Schnittker parlay by scoring in 1:48.2. The gelded son of So
Surreal-Sugarcoated made the lead from the 10 hole at the quarter in :27.3 and
sailed down the road with Tyler Buter calling the shots.
Tritton, the champion Down Under
trainer who has relocated to the States, kept his red-hot barn rolling, scoring
with 8-year-old gelding Lespndnitetogeta N (Washington Vc-The Moth) in 1:51 and
11-year-old horse Flaming Flutter N (Bettor’s Delight-Twice As Hot N), who won
his North American debut from post nine in 1:49.1. Both were driven by Jordan
Stratton.
A LITTLE MORE: The clock got rocked all night
Saturday, as eight of the 17 pacing events went in sub-1:50. … Stratton and
Tetrick led the way in the driver’s colony with three wins apiece. … The
20-cent Pick-6 resulted in a carryover of $8,948 for the next racing program. …
Racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m.
