By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Adorabella and
Century Ferrari were the winners Friday night at The Meadowlands as the mile
oval hosted a pair of Fall Harvest Series Finals for pacers as the co-featured
events on the card.
Adorabella, a 4-year-old by Pet
Rock-Bella Marta, took the division for fillies and mares in a lifetime-best
1:53.1 for driver Victor Kirby. The Don Niccum trainee, who won for a third
straight start, never saw the rail around the first turn and blew past early
leader Rock N Roll Rosie just after the quarter, which went in :26.3.
Now a nine-time winner from 40
lifetime starts, Adorabella ($8.00 to win as the second choice) led past the
half and took pressure from Streak The Lawn around the far turn while Streak
The Lawn was providing a live tow for even-money favorite Jazz Fest.
A final quarter of :28.3 proved to be
enough for the winner to hold on by three-quarters-of-a-length. Justabitofcharm
went the inside route to get second. Jazz Fest tipped off cover at just the
right time with a little more than an eighth of a mile to go but sputtered from
there in a no-excuse third-place finish.
Century Ferrari, trained and driven
by Bill Mann, won the dash for horses and geldings in 1:52.3, giving the
offspring of American Ideal-Sounds Perfect seven wins from 38 lifetime starts.
The 4-year-old gelding had things go
his way, thanks to a perfect steer from Mann. After 9-5 favorite Thunder Some
Where cleared the top before the half, Pembroke Joey rushed up into contention
around the far turn while providing a perfect tow for the eventual winner, who
tipped off his cover at the eighth pole and needed every inch of the stretch to
get past a pesky Pembroke Joey by a neck. Thunder Some Where held third.
As the 2-1 second choice, Century
Ferrari returned $6.20 to win.
A LITTLE MORE: Kirby, who won four last Friday after
his trip up the NJ Turnpike, guided three to victory lane. … Leon Bailey, the
leading driver this year on the New York County Fair circuit, proved he can
hack it in the bright lights of the big city, winning twice on program, his first
two victories at The Meadowlands. … All-source wagering totaled $1,776,958. …
Racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
