By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It’s Academic
and Beads both displayed high speed while winning the two $50,000 divisions of
the opening leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old Open trotters at The
Meadowlands Saturday night.
It’s Academic, off a win at Scioto
Downs in the Charlie Hill Memorial, had the confidence of his driver heading
into the race.
“He’s a beauty to drive,” said
Yannick Gingras before the Graduate. “He’s super sharp and should perform well
tonight.”
He did just that.
It’s Academic had to work hard from post
four in the nine-horse field to make the front, unable to clear past El Ideal
until the half while parked in a snappy :54.2. Things did not get any easier
for the Ron Burke trainee from there, as pressure would come from
Ab’sattitudexpress to three-quarters, which was timed in 1:23.4.
Gingras then coaxed a burst of energy
from the son of Uncle Peter-Annapolis to get clear by 2½ lengths as they
straightened up in the stretch and was cruising through the lane to an apparent
easy win.
But Hypnotic AM emerged off a
third-over trip and was flying late. “I did get a third-quarter breather,” said
Gingras. “But I almost got caught sleeping there. The wire came just in time.”
It’s Academic, who’s now won 17-of-32
starts and earned $585,688 lifetime, paid $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favorite and
finished a head in front of Hypnotic AM in 1:51.1. Hillexotic was third.
Beads brought his ‘A’ game in the
second Graduate split, powering down the road in a season’s-best-equaling
1:50.2 on the trot, a time that he established in a Big M qualifier eight days
ago.
“They told me the best way to get
along with him is to keep him busy, talk to him a lot,” said winning driver
Dave Miller, who was behind the son of Archangel-Nepentha for the first time.
“So I did and he felt comfortable the whole way.”
Beads fired off the gate from post
six and was on the point while parked in :26.4. The Per Engblom trainee then
reached the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:23.4, and off that middle-half
of :57, had little trouble sprinting away from the pocket-sitting Sorella, who
weakened and finished sixth.
The winner hit the finish 2¼ lengths
in front of Amigo Volo to lift his lifetime stats to eight wins from 25 starts
and earnings of $296,713. Moon Bridge was third. Lovedbythemasses, the 8-5 public
choice, broke just after the start and finished seventh in the eight-horse
field.
“He’s not the handiest or the
quickest on the turns,” said Miller of Beads. “But at the head of the stretch I
talked to my horse and he took off.”
Beads returned $11.00 to win as the
third choice in the wagering.
ROCKING THE CLOCK: Nicholas Beach, trained by Jenn
Bongiorno and driver by her brother Joe, equaled the fastest mile of the year
in harness racing of 1:47.2 when he ripped out of the pocket as the 8-5 second
choice to gun down leader American History, the even-money favorite who had
established the mark last week. This Is The Plan, who won the Borgata Series
Final at Yonkers in his last start, shrugged off a 33-day layoff to miss a
fast-charging nose in the $30,000 Open-Preferred Handicap for pacers. American
History held third.
Lyons Sentinel exploded home after
going a third-over trip to take the $37,500 first leg of the Kissin In The Sand
Series for Open Mares at odds of 20-1 for trainer Jim King Jr. and driver Tim
Tetrick. Her final time of 1:48.2 was a lifetime best and equaled Soho Burning
Love A’s time for fastest female pacer of 2021, established seven days ago.
A LITTLE MORE: Gingras and Tetrick both drove three
winners on the card. Gingras finished the weekend with a half-dozen victories.
… All-source handle totaled $3,730,993, the seventh consecutive Saturday to see
betting bust the $3.5-million barrier. … Live racing resumes Friday at 6:20
p.m.
