by Frank Cotolo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Prohibitive favorite Tall Dark Stranger and driver Yannick Gingras commanded sophomore pacers to win the $273,125 Cane Pace on Saturday (Aug. 8) at The Meadowlands. The time for the mile, 1:47.1, is a stakes record and personal best for the son of Bettor's Delight and Precocious Beauty.
Captain Kirk and Manticore went to the front off the gate, with Moneyman Hill and Put To Right following, as Tall Dark Stranger settled into fifth through a :26.2 first quarter.
Manticore got the lead for a few steps before Captain Kirk retook the top. Tall Dark Stranger then made his move, going first- over to take the lead through a :53.1 half.
Once leading, Tall Dark Stranger began to dominate, cutting three-quarters in 1:21 with Captain Kirk fully extended to keep the place spot while Capt Midnight led the outer tier, closing fast into the stretch and passing Captain Kirk.
Gingras glanced behind his charge once and drew away to a definitive 3-1/4-length victory. Capt Midnight took the second spot with Captain Kirk finishing third.
It was Tall Dark Stranger’s fourth win in five starts this season for trainer Nancy Takter.
"He was better today; we added Lasix to him," Takter said. "He bled a little bit last week (in the Geers Stakes). He had a little bit of a tough race, he got all windy. It's just one of those things ... You can't get all worked up about it, you just gotta fix the problems."
Tall Dark Stranger certainly redeemed himself after his fourth-place finish in the Geers Stakes on Aug. 1, having plenty in reserve at the end of his stakes record mile in the Cane.
"Yannick (Gingras) said if he would've known it was that close, he would've let him go a little bit in the third quarter, but he raced super and we're just thrilled with him," Takter concluded.
Tall Dark Stranger, who also won the Meadowlands Pace, is owned by Crawford Farms Racing, Marvin Katz, Caviart Farms and Howard Taylor.
