By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Beltassima and
Really Fast shrugged off the sloppy conditions on a brutal night weather-wise
and utilized high early speed to win their respective $200,000 New Jersey Sire
Stakes Finals for 3-year-olds on the trot at The Meadowlands Friday night.
Beltassima was superb in taking the
division for fillies from post 10 in 1:54.1. Andy McCarthy had the daughter of
Trixton-Beltane Hanover away quickly from the outside post in the full field
but didn’t necessarily have designs on the top.
“I figured it would be tough from out
there, but I figured I’d leave and take a spot somewhere,” said McCarthy, “but
when I saw that there weren’t a lot of horses leaving, I went on with it. I
just went into it thinking I’d figure it out as it went.”
Beltassima cleared 2-1 favorite Wet
My Whistle just after the quarter before ‘Whistle’ immediately moved right back
to the top. It was those two around the track until McCarthy found some space
from the two-hole inside the eighth pole.
“I got squeezed a little bit there,”
said McCarthy of being in tight quarters in the stretch, “but I waited until I
got clearance.”
The Tony Alagna trainee took it from
there, reporting home a neck winner over a fast-closing Avenir. Wet My Whistle
held third.
“I wasn’t surprised [she won],” said
McCarthy, “she’s been terrific.”
As the fifth choice in the betting,
Beltassima returned $29.20 to her backers in winning her second straight and
fourth from 10 lifetime starts. Her lifetime bankroll stands at $154,287.
In the split for colts and geldings,
the Nancy Takter-trained Really Fast scored despite making only his fourth
lifetime start.
“To race like that in the pouring
rain,” said Takter, “it was a good performance. I was really happy with my
horse.”
The son of Muscle Hill-Stubborn Belle
was away alertly from post five in the 10-horse field and was on the point at
the quarter in :27.4. Cuatro De Julio then made an authoritative brush to
command before the half as the pair raced 1-2 into the stretch.
At the eighth pole, driver Yannick
Gingras moved Really Fast off the rail and got by a stubborn Cuatro De Julio by
a neck in a lifetime-best 1:52.2. Sonofamistery was third. Lindysmusclemania,
the 4-5 favorite who was so impressive winning two weeks ago in 1:51.4, sat a
four-hole to the half and went off stride while first-over nearing the far turn
and finished eighth.
“He really does not have the
experience of any of the other horses [he faced].” said Takter of Really Fast.
“My horse was super. I was pretty confident he was going to get by. I’m going
to be conservative with him. The first time he’ll race back-to-back weeks will
be the Hambletonian elimination and final.”
Really Fast, who now has three career
victories, paid $15.20 as the fourth choice in the betting and now has $121,750
in his bank account.
NON-BETTORS: There were a pair of $100,000 New
Jersey Sire Stakes Finals for 3-year-olds on the pace that were contested as
non-betting events weaved in between the pari-mutuel races on the card.
Neverendingproject (Great
Vintage-Project Terror) took the filly division for driver Russell Foster and
trainer Eric Foster in 2:01.1 while Fika Time (a gelding by Sunfire Blue
Chip-Raiders Favorite) ran his winning streak to three winning the split for
colts and geldings for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Chase Vandervort in
1:56.2.
A LITTLE MORE: Alagna and Nifty Norman both recorded
training triples on the card. … All-source wagering totaled $3,130,111, the 17th
consecutive program to see wagering top the $3-million mark. … Racing resumes
Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
