By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Gusting winds
and drenching rains from Tropical Storm Fay could not extinguish the harness
racing fire that is super mare Atlanta at The Meadowlands Friday night.
Facing an easier task than in her
first two starts of the season not having to face arch-rival Manchego, the Ron
Burke-trained Atlanta had an easy time of it in the $40,000 second leg of the
Miss Versatility for open mare trotters over a sloppy track.
Driver Yannick Gingras kept Atlanta
off the early action, sitting fifth past the quarter and half. He then got the
5-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven-Hemi Blue Chip in gear after leader
Kenziesky Hanover. With Atlanta gaining quickly, Plunge Blue Chip swerved out
of the three-hole, which provided a live tow for the eventual winner.
Plunge Blue Chip was just off the
leader’s flank at three-quarters, and out of the turn, Gingras swung Atlanta
three-wide for the drive and easily coasted by Plunge Blue Chip to record a
3¼-length score in 1:51.2. Plunge Blue Chip, the 5-1 second choice, completed
the $5.20 exacta. Felicityshagwell S was third.
“I wasn’t concerned about the sloppy
track because I knew Yannick would adjust to the conditions,” said Burke. “The
truth is, she prefers to get the kind of trip she got tonight. I wanted to
follow Plunge Blue Chip, and as long as we could outkick her, we’d be alright.
I am going to give Atlanta next week off. I don’t want to over-race her. She’s
more thoroughbred than standardbred. She’ll go next in two weeks in the Spirit
of Massachusetts at Plainridge.”
Atlanta has now won 22 of 42 lifetime
outings, good for earnings of $2,026,089 for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Brad
Grant and Howard Taylor.
NJSS ROUNDUP: The New Jersey Sire Stakes for
2-year-olds kicked off Friday with its opening leg, and in the filly pace, the
John Urbanski-trained and driven Anna Jeans, a product of Great Vintage-Early
Go Hanover, won in a “walkover” (a one-horse race) in 2:15.2 over the sloppy
surface in a race conducted before the betting card.
In another early non-bettor, Fika
Time took the colt and gelding pace for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Chase
Vandervort. The gelded son of Sunfire Blue Chip-Raiders Favorite stopped the
clock in 2:01.1.
In the first of three colt and
gelding trots on the betting card, Southwind Tyrion, a son of Muscle
Hill-Taylor Jean, came from off the pace to score as the 4-5 favorite for
trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt in 1:56.1. The Dexter Dunn-driven, Per
Engblom-trained Mon Amour, a colt by Muscle Hill-Mind Meld, went wire-to-wire
in 1:56.4 as the 3-1 second choice in division two before Beyond The Hill took
advantage of a late break by leader Sonofamistery to score in the final
division in 1:59.1. Driven by Dave Miller and trained by Jim Campbell, the son
of Muscle Hill-Beyond Blue paid off at odds of 10-1.
The filly trotters had two divisions,
and taking the first was Hot As Hill, who won from off the pace for driver Joe
Bongiorno and Burke. The daughter of Muscle Hill-Smarty Pants went off at odds
of 17-1 and went the mile in 1:58.3.
The second division gave Svanstedt a
trainer-driver NJSS double as another longshot, 39-1 chance Presto, upset the
apple cart in 1:57 from off the pace. The winner is a daughter of
Trixton-Susie’s Magic.
A LITTLE MORE: Melissa Arbia, who guided Take It
Back Terry to victory in the first race GSY Series pace for amateur drivers,
combined with Bongiorno to complete a rare husband-wife driving double on the
card. The last to do it were Ake and Sarah Svanstedt. … Despite the bad weather
and multiple 2-year-old races, wagering on the 13-race card totaled $2,373,660.
… Racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m. The Meadowlands Pace Elimination and a
pair of $250,000 Graduate Finals highlight the program.
