By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The puzzle that
was the featured $38,000 Open Pace at The Meadowlands Saturday night turned out
to be an easy one to solve, as Workin Ona Mystery blew away six overmatched
foes during a thoroughly dominant 1:48.4 mile.
“I had the best horse I thought,
short odds, and the inside three horses were kind of leaving for position, so
it was pretty clear for me to get to the lead,” said winning driver Tim
Tetrick. “From there, it was kind of my job to cut honest fractions.”
Workin Ona Mystery, who knocked heads
with the Captain Crunches and Bettor’s Wishes of the world during the glamour
boy 3-year-old colt and gelding pace stakes-race tour of 2019, has been getting
his act back together of late and was simply superb, cutting out fractions of
:27.1, :54.3 and 1:22 on the way to an easy 1¾-length score, his 14th
from 42 career outings. My Pal Joe closed well along the pylons for second
while Bee Two Bee outlasted 5-2 second choice Let It Ride N for third.
“He’s really rounded into form in his
last few starts,” said Tetrick of Working Ona Mystery’s second-place finishes
to Captain Barbossa (in a conditioned event) and Allywag Hanover (in the TVG
Open Pace) in his last two outings. “[Trainer] Ronnie [Burke] has him going
really well now. He’s really improving.”
A 5-year-old son of
Captaintreacherous-Dragon’s Tale who is owned by Burke Racing, Milton Leeman,
Alan Keith and Wingfield Brothers, Workin Ona Mystery paid $3.20 to his backers
as the 3-5 public choice while lifting his lifetime bankroll to $804,289.
SEE YOU ON THURSDAY: Thursday racing returns to The
Meadowlands on Dec. 2. First-race post time is 6:20 p.m. Thursday racing will
also take place on Dec. 9.
LARRY THE LEGEND: One of the most popular race callers
of this or any generation will be making an appearance at The Big M when live
racing resumes.
Larry Lederman, who has been the
announcer at Freehold Raceway, Garden State Park, Atlantic City Race Course and
others during his career, will be on the microphone when racing takes place on
Thursday at 6:20 p.m.
DOUBLE CARRYOVER: For the second straight race card,
there were no winning tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick-6, meaning that when
racing resumes on Thursday, there will be a carryover of $20,096 to get the pool
off to a big start. Those who correctly selected five winners cashed in for
$96.90.
Free past performances for all
Meadowlands programs are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
A LITTLE MORE: Tetrick led the driver’s colony with
three winners, while Andy McCarthy and Yannick Gingras both registered a pair
of victories. Gingras finished the weekend with six winner’s circle visits. …
Todd McCarthy did not drive on the card, as he suffered a sprained ankle after
taking a spill Friday night. He hopes to be back at The Big M on Thursday. ...
All-source handle totaled $2,195,914.
