By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It was Hall of
Famer Dave Miller’s night at the Meadowlands Friday, as “The Buckeye” drove
three winners on the program, including among them, Run Director in the
featured Open for trotters.
“I raced him at [Harrah’s
Philadelphia] in his last start and he had all kinds of road trouble but still
trotted in [1:]51,” said Miller. “I really like this horse.”
So did those who wagered on the
5-year-old son of Kadabra-Keep The Spirit, who was sent to the gate at 11-1 in
a field remarkable in how competitive it looked on paper.
While not showing gate speed in any
of his recent efforts, Miller gunned his horse to the top around the first turn
and hit the quarter in :27. With no one coming at him, Miller was able to rate
the second fraction in :29, which left plenty of juice for the final half-mile.
Nearing three-quarters, Betting
Gangster S was racing first-over trying to challenge the leader while towing
2-1 favorite Lindy The Great into the race, but Betting Gangster S stalled on
the far turn, which forced Lindy The Great three-wide, sealing the deal for the
eventual winner.
Lindy The Great kicked home in :26.1,
but it was too little, too late, as Run Director completed his wire-to-wire win
in 1:51.4.
“I did not expect to make the lead
that easy,” said Miller. “He was going along really easy and seemed very
comfortable. I heard Andy [Miller, driving Lindy The Great] coming but we had
enough left to get the job done.”
Run Director, who hit the finish
three-quarters-of-a-length in front of LTG, paid $25.00 to win for his owners
Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin. Swansea finished third.
The Andrew Harris trainee now has 14
wins from 38 career starts and earnings of $470,087.
NJSS WRAPUP: The second leg of the New Jersey Sire
Stakes for 2-year-olds saw seven divisions on the Friday card.
In the first of three colt and
gelding trots, the Dave Miller-driven, Marcus Melander-trained Heartbreak Hill
(Muscle Hill-Allmar Surprise) gunned down 3-5 favorite Spy Booth nearing the
wire to pull off an upset at 31-1, winning for the first time in his career in
1:54.3; Locatelli (Muscle Hill-Girlie Tough) went wire-to-wire in division two
for Yannick Gingras and Nancy Takter, taking his first-ever victory in 1:54.4
as the 3-1 third choice; Mon Amour (Muscle Hill-Mind Meld) was the only
favorite among the male trotters to click, as the Per Engblom student scored in
division three as the 3-5 choice in 1:56 with Dexter Dunn holding the lines.
The first of two divisions for filly
trotters went to Altar (Muscle Hill-Swan Hot Mama) for Dave Miller and Engblom.
The 7-1 chance recorded her first lifetime win in 1:54.4 coming from off the
pace. In the second division, Engblom completed a sweep of the filly trot
divisions – and got his third NJSS win of the night – with Material Girl, a Muscle
Hill-Lilu Hanover offspring who was driven by Dunn. The 4-1 shot, who visited
the winner’s circle for the first time in her career, stopped the clock in
1:55.3.
Before the betting card, there were a
pair of divisions on the pace. Recording a second victory in as many starts was
the filly Anna Jeans (Great Vintage-Early Go Hanover), who scored in a
lifetime-best 2:03.2 for trainer John Urbanski and driver Jason Thompson. Also
staying perfect in two starts was Fika Time, a gelding from trainer Chase Vandervort
who is a product of Sunfire Blue Chip-Raiders Favorite. Tim Tetrick guided the
winner to a lifetime-best 1:56.3 mile.
A LITTLE MORE: Wagering was solid all night as the
20-cent Pick-5 took in $81,252 in bets and the Late Pick-4 saw $88,209 of action.
… Total wagering was $2,883,778. … Racing resumes Saturday night – Meadowlands
Pace Night – at a special early post time of 6:30 p.m.
