By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Returning to
the scene of her two biggest career wins, When Dovescry destroyed her foes in
the Friday night feature at The Meadowlands, a high-end conditioned trot.
The 4-year-old daughter of Muscle
Hill-Cedar Dove, who won the 2019 Hambletonian Oaks and 2020 Steele Memorial at
The Big M, was on the go early, securing the top out of the first turn in a
field reduced to six starters after a pair of scratches, and hit the quarter on
the point in a leisurely :28.
There wasn’t much action as the half
went in :56.2. Longshot Arabella’s Cadet tried to apply pressure around the far
turn but was turned away as they turned for home. A final quarter of just :28
was more than enough for the Brett Pelling trainee to score by 3¼ lengths over
Mississippi Storm in 1:52.1. Felicityshagwell S, the 7-5 second choice,
finished third.
“We wanted to get a race in her,”
said Pelling, “since she is going to the [Oct. 31] Breeders Crown Mares Trot
[at Hoosier Park]. She was perfectly straight tonight.”
Pelling sees a fabulous future for
his horse. “Her whole game is getting through being 4-years-old. When she comes
back next year, she’ll go 20 times (she’s started only six times in 2020). At
4, you race aged horses, and I think at that age, they are not mature. You are
going against horses that are fully developed. It takes a special horse to take
on horses that are fully developed when you are just 4.”
When Dovescry, who was driven by
David Miller, paid $3.80 to win as the 4-5 public choice. She is owned by Yves
Sarrazin, Dumain Haven Farm, Singh & Soulsby and John E Lengacher and now
has 12 wins from 26 career starts and earnings of $1,065,186.
ONE FOR THE THUMB: Captain Corey remained unbeaten in
five lifetime starts by taking the $61,500 W.N. Reynolds Memorial Judge Moore
division for 2-year-old colts and geldings on the trot as the 1-9 favorite.
The Ake Svanstedt trained and driven
colt, a product of Googoo Gaagaa-Luv U All, never had an anxious moment,
drubbing three overmatched foes by leading at every call before hitting the
wire 3¾ lengths in front of second-place finisher Royson’s Punch in 1:54.1. Lindysmusclemania
was third.
Captain Corey, the Pennsylvania Sire
Stakes champion, now has earnings of $295,313 and is being pointed to the
October 30 Breeders Crown at Hoosier Park.
In a non-betting event before the
regular card, Insta Glam (Father Patrick-Hollywood Hill) won the Reynolds Meda
division for juvenile trotting fillies. The Nancy Takter-trained, Dexter
Dunn-driven miss raised her lifetime record to five wins from 10 starts, good
for earnings of $240,170.
A LITTLE MORE: Favorite players wore out a path to
the windows on the night, as nine straight post-time choices scored starting in
the second race. A total of 10 chalks scored on the 13-race card. … Dunn was
red hot on the night, guiding five winners. … All-source handle totaled
$1,853,232. … Racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
