By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The facts are
undeniable. Let It Ride N loves racing in January.
It was Jan. 2 of last year when the
Nifty Norman trainee rocked the clock in a lifetime-best 1:48.1 at The
Meadowlands. Saturday night at The Big M, he won the $31,500 Preferred for
pacers to once again set the early-season fastest mile in the game, after
stopping the clock in 1:49.
In the abbreviated six-horse field
(there was one scratch, Western Joe) the two-pronged Jenn Bongiorno-trained
tandem of J M Mandamin and Vettel N were away from the gate quickly as J M
Mandamin hit the quarter in :26.2.
There was no action until the field
approached the far turn, when the three-hole-sitting Covered Bridge moved to
the outside, providing a live tow for Let It Ride N.
“With the front end speed going like
it was,” said winning driver Victor Kirby, “things worked out perfectly when I
was able to pick up cover from Yannick [Gingras, driving Covered Bridge]. He
carried me up to the leader.”
Kirby waited to tip off his cover
with an eighth of a mile to go before Let It Ride N sailed home to an easy
1¾-length win, his 28th from 74 career starts. Backstreet Shadow and
My Pal Joe rallied well to grab the place and show spots, respectively.
The winner, a 9-year-old gelded son
of Rock N Roll Heaven-Love A Gamble, upped his lifetime earnings to $477,242
and returned $11.80 to his backers as the 9-2 fourth choice in the wagering.
NICE LEGS: Get Legs received a perfect steer
from Andy Miller to go wire-to-wire in the co-featured $31,500 Preferred for
trotters in 1:53.1.
The 5-year-old son of Muscle
Hill-Legzy set sail for the top from post three in the nine-horse field and
found himself alone on the front end.
“He left really well and no one
pressed him,” said Miller. “Tonight, he was good coasting along on the front.”
Miller was able to rate the middle
fractions back to :57 and 1:25 after an opening panel of :27.1 to open up a
3½-length edge for the stretch drive, and had more than enough left in the tank
for the Julie Miller trainee to record his 13th lifetime score from
28 outings.
Chin Chin Hall, the 2-1 favorite,
went a tough trip racing fourth-over past the five-eighths, before rallying
well through the stretch to get second, just three-quarters-of-a-length behind
the winner. Yonkers shipper Hayek was third.
“[Get Legs] had three weeks off, so I
wasn’t sure how tight he’d be,” said Andy Miller. “I saw Chin Chin Hall coming,
but I thought I had enough of a jump on him.”
Gets Legs now has earnings of
$185,675 and returned $8.40 to his backers as the third choice in the betting.
A LITTLE MORE: Gingras and George Brennan led the
driver’s colony with three winners apiece. Gingras finished the weekend with
eight winner’s circle visits. … Per Engblom and Travis Alexander both trained a
pair to victory lane. … All-source handle totaled $2,630,291. … Racing resumes
Friday at 6:20 p.m.
