By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Tim Tetrick was
on his game Saturday night at The Meadowlands, as the 39-year-old Hall of Fame
driver won both $30,000 divisions of the first leg of the Miss Versatility
Series for open mares on the trot.
Off a superb seasonal debut where she
closed in :26.4 to just miss, Next Level Stuff was predictably sent to the gate
as the 3-5 public choice in division one, and while she did not disappoint, she
needed every inch of the stretch to record a neck victory in 1:52.2.
“She raced against the top [fillies]
last year,” said Tetrick. “She’s a trip mare, and she got a trip tonight.”
Sixty-to-one long shot Morairtime cut
out the action on the front end to three-quarters. When Dovescry inched closer
from first-over on the far turn while providing a perfect tow for the eventual
winner before making the lead at the head of the stretch.
Tetrick tipped Next Level Stuff off
cover at just the right time with about an eighth of a mile to go and got up
nearing the wire to record her 14th career win from just 25 starts
for trainer Jim Campbell. The 4-year-old daughter of Sebastian K S-Nantab
returned $3.40 to her backers while upping her lifetime bank account to
$668,066. When Dovescry was a valiant second with Felicityshagwell S third.
“I got David [Miller, driving When
Dovescry] to pull out of there,” said Tetrick, “and everything went like it was
supposed to for me. I’m super happy with her. She’s a nice mare to drive.”
Tetrick opted to race
Ab’sattitudexpress on the front end in division two, and just held off 2020
Hambletonian Oaks champion Sorella by a nose in 1:52.3. Miss McKee was third.
The race saw little action from the
outset, as the 3-5 favorite Ab’sattitudexpress and 9-5 second-choice Sorella
raced 1-2 around the track. Yannick Gingras moved Sorella from the pocket at
the head of the stretch, only to miss by an eyelash after a stretch-long duel.
“[Winning trainer] Lucas [Wallin] and
his crew have done a great job with her,” said Tetrick of the 4-year-old miss
by Trixton-Abbie’sgotattitude. “I thought going to the lead was the best thing
to do. She was good turning for home, but Sorella dug in too. I’m very happy
with her. Her effort was big tonight.”
Ab’sattitudexpress paid $3.40 to win
while upping her lifetime stats to 10 victories from 19 starts, good for
earnings of $310,641.
PICK-6 CARRYOVER: There were no winning tickets sold in
the 20-cent Pick-6, which means the wager will have a carryover of $14,686 for
Friday night’s card. Those with five correct collected $2,447.
Free program pages for every race of
every Meadowlands card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
HELLUVA HANDLE: All-source wagering totaled $3,764,756,
giving the Big M 12 consecutive programs where handle has exceeded the
$3-million mark. Added to the $3.3 million wagered Friday, the track has now
recorded six weekends during 2021 where betting has bettered the $7-million
plateau.
A LITTLE MORE: American History was sensational in
the seventh race mid-range conditioned pace, blazing a trail around the track,
leading at every call, and stopping the clock in 1:48, to equal the fastest
mile of the year in the sport two weeks after Stars Align A’s identical timing.
… Andy McCarthy was the big dog of the driver’s colony, scoring four times on
the program to run his weekend total to eight victories. … Racing resumes
Friday at 6:20 p.m.
